


Beta Test

by BlueJayTaco



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Abandonment, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Angst and Humor, Awkward Crush, Bad Decisions, Big Bang Challenge, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Family Issues, Fanboy Atem, Fantasy, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Character(s), Monsters, Mother Complex, Revenge, Swordfighting, Video Game Mechanics, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-27 20:23:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15692715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueJayTaco/pseuds/BlueJayTaco
Summary: Yugi Mutou is a highly successful game developer, well known by all but seen by none. With the help of Kaiba Corp technology, he was able to create a completely immersive virtual reality RPG called “The Kingdom.” Atem Sennen was thrilled when he received the opportunity to become a beta tester for the Kingdom. But, as his past comes back to haunt him, he and Yugi are quite literally thrown together in order to stop it from destroying the very world around them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! Welcome to my contribution to the Big Bang! Hope you all enjoy it! :D

He had to hand it to them; the world created was absolutely stunning. Everything from the snow-capped mountains in the distance to the blades of grass under his feet had each and every detail to make it as real and beautiful as possible.

Atem wasn't even a true level yet and he was already enraptured. He could feel a light breeze and hear the leaves rustling in the trees. If this game didn't become a hit, there was something wrong with the world.

But that wasn't why he was here. He would have to play it and make sure it was polished enough. First, he would have to find armor and a weapon to survive. He took a step forward.

“Hey there!”

He paused at the sound of a light, feminine voice. There was no one in sight. He looked around.

“Up here!”

Slowly, he looked up to see a tan girl with brown hair and a plain, sandy colored tunic. She was about the size of his palm and floated by sitting on a staff.

She smiled at him. “Hiya, DarkKing27! Welcome to the Kingdom; a VR RPG like no other! I'll be your guide throughout your adventures!”

Atem cringed at the mention of his login name. It was the same one from primary school and he could never figure out how to change it.

The guide blinked at him and tilted her head. “You look displeased. Do you not need a guide?”

He blinked. She could understand facial expressions? “Uh, no I do. It's just... will I be called that for the whole game?”

She tilted her head the other way. “Would you like to be called something else?”

“... would it be possible just to call me by my name?”

“Name? Hold on.” She stared off. For a moment, it looked as if she froze but then she grinned brightly. “Found it! Your name is Atem Sennen. Would you like to be called Atem Sennen?”

“Just Atem is fine.” Amazing.

“Alright, Atem! You can also name me for easy summoning. Would you like to name your guide?”

He nodded. “How about 'Mana?'” He always did like that name. And this AI sort of reminded him of his childhood friend.

She grinned again. “Great! I'll be Mana and you'll be Atem. Now, as your guide, I can provide you with maps, your experience levels, health and magic levels, and all other needs. For now, you will need a weapon. Even something as simple as a stick can help you fend off enemies.”

Atem nodded and found a branch from the ground. He kept it in his hand.

“Perfect! Now, through the woods, you'll find a small town. There, you'll be able to better equip yourself!” She pointed down the path. “On we go!”

And on they walked. Atem studied the forest, still amazed by how real it all felt despite the tiny fairy-like witch woman floating near him. But he had an idea of how great this game would look, he's been following the developer for some time. “Hey, Mana. Can you tell me about the creator of this game?”

Mana leaned on her staff. “This game is apart of the best development team Kaiba Corp can offer. Seto Kaiba is Number one when-”

“I'm not talking about him. I doubt he needs anyone stroking his ego.” He smirked at her.

To his surprise, she laughed. “Yeah, I get that.” She smiled apologetically. “But my information on the game's true developer is limited. Mr. Mutou is a very private person and tends to just leave his projects to Kaiba Corp for promotion.”

Atem snorted. “Even in his own creation, I can't find out about him.”

“You... know Mr. Mutou's work?”

“'Know' would be an understatement, Mana.” He climbed over a fallen tree. “This man is brilliant. I've never seen anything like his games.”

There was a small jingle noise before Mana let out a soft giggle. “So, you're a fan.”

Atem raised an eyebrow at the sound. “Are you recording this?”

“Of course! These sessions are watched under a careful eye so our team can fix any and all problems. It's the reason you're here, after all.”

“Right.” So, Atem would have to be careful what he said to her. He couldn't go into the details of what he thought of the developer. Although no one has seen his face, Atem found himself with a giant crush on this developer. He read interviews and played all his games. He felt like he knew him in a strange way.

But he would never say it aloud. He would sound crazy if he did. And he didn't want to sound crazy to his new AI friend. Or the people who would be hearing what she heard.

He could feel her studying him. When he turned to look at her, she had a sly smile on her face before she looked forward. “Mr. Mutou may be somewhere in the game. He likes to go into all his MMOs during beta part of the process to make sure the inside is perfect.”

Atem tried not to look too excited. After all, he didn't know what the developer looked like so he might talk to him and never know it. The game also looked huge and extensive; he might never even be in the same location as Mutou. He just smiled. “I'm just happy to be a part of this opportunity.”

There was the sound of a rumble deep in the woods. Atem turned in time to see some trees shake. Birds flew from it in fear.

Whatever it was, it was heading towards him.

When it was in sight, Atem took a step back. It was huge!

“That's a troll!” Mana pulled the staff out from under her and gripped it like a weapon she was about to use. “His level is three points higher than yours.”

He got into his own fighting stance and held the stick in his grip like a sword. “Is there any hope of defeating him?”

“Uhhhhh... Yes?”

He looked at her flatly before turning back to the troll. “Well, let's find out for sure!” He charged forward with a loud battle cry. He slammed his stick into the side of the troll.

Then watched it snap in two and do no damage.

For a moment, the two of them froze and stared at one another. Then, a giant fist came out and Atem bounced off the ground and into a tree.

He groaned as he pulled himself up. The pain felt real. It all felt so real. He would commend the developer again if he wasn't in so much pain.

The troll bounded after him but this time he dodged the hit and ran. “Mana! I could use a distraction or something!”

Mana appeared next to him, a look of fear in her pose. “No NPCs can see me. That would be cheating!” She gasped. “Dart left!”

Atem did so. And ended up under the troll's giant foot.

Mana hissed and winced at the sight. “I-I meant right. Dart right...”

He groaned into the dirt. Well, at least he knew he couldn't completely trust Mana.

“I'm sorry, Atem.”

He turned and looked at her, his cheek pressed against the dirt. “It's not your fault. I know how these things work.” He gasped as a giant hand grabbed him and lifted him off the ground. He squirmed and quickly grabbed his broken weapon as the troll lifted him completely. “Mana, how do lives work?”

“The Kingdom works on an auto-save basis. Every enemy defeated and town discovered is another save.”

“So there haven't been any saves yet?”

“Nope!”

He wouldn't be losing much, he knew. But he also just really didn't want to start over. He just wanted to beat this thing and gain a little more experience!

As he thought about it, the troll pulled him closer to his face and opened his mouth. There was the awful smell of rot coming from within.

Atem covered his nose with his free hand and fought the urge to vomit. Once again, he should commend Mutou on the attention to detail.

He struggled to get out. He tried to kick himself away from the open maw, slap him with the broken stick, even biting into the troll's hand.

It didn't matter. He was swallowed whole.

Which was cool but very gross. He pushed at the walls around him with his back and his legs in an attempt to slow his death.

“Atem?! Atem! I'm still here, so you must be still alive!”

“I don't know how but yes!” There must be a way out.

He heard some beeping near his left ear.

Mana gasped. “Your magic meter is now full! You can kill him from the inside. Just tap into your magic!”

Magic? His eye darted to the side where he heard the beeping. He could vaguely see a meter blinking and what looked to be a ghostly hand flicking its wrist as if it were tossing something.

He copied the motion. Something dark came from his hand and shot a hole in his captor. He could hear the troll roar in pain.

He did the motion again. And again. And again.

Soon, the troll collapsed and exploded, leaving Atem covered in saliva and bile.

Mana scrunched her nose in disgust then forced a smile. “Y-you did it! And you are now at Level One!” She looked around him then moved to where the troll had been standing. “It looks like the troll left some loot! 45G and a worn short sword.”

He picked up the sword and studied it. The weapon looked as if it'd been used many times in the past. Possibly another player. Or maybe the troll was there for this purpose. He put it in the sheath on his hip and smiled at Mana. “So, onto the town?”

She grinned back and nodded. “Yes! Here we go!”

 

The build of this game was almost completely finished. But there was always one or two loose ends that find themselves invisible until its announced for the beta testers. So, he made sure it was the first thing he fixed when he went into the game.

There was a room full of little more than the game's code; much like a backdoor in the mountains. While Yugi really wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable and see his friends in their newly designed character, he also knew one of the newer beta testers was a whiz at games like this. He wanted to make sure nothing would break down and make it impossible to complete the game.

There was a jingle near his side; information from one of the guides, he knew. “-man is brilliant.”

He didn't know if 'brilliant' was the right choice of words, but it was flattering. He smiled and glanced over at the projected video.

Then did a double take because damn. The new beta tester was hot as hell!

“Mr. Mutou is probably somewhere in the game. He likes to go into all his MMOs during beta part of the process to make sure the inside is perfect.”

Yugi could recognize the voice. All the guides were specifically chosen at the beginning of the game depending on the information entered. He was particularly proud of the design of this guide but he didn't know how he felt about this guy looking at her.

He smiled. What a gorgeous smile. “I'm just happy to be part of this opportunity.”

Yugi could hear the smashing of the first enemy encounter. He watched this beautiful stranger try and fail. Then try to run and fail.

Then try again to fight and fail.

He smiled when the magic kicked in and the tester blasted several holes in the troll. He watched as the man took up the sword and smiled back at his guide. “So, onto town?”

Oh, if only he wasn't stuck up here. Maybe, if he finished quickly, he'd be able to catch this player and find out more information about him.

Or maybe that was dangerous. He would make a fool of himself.

A beep at his side warned him of an incoming call. He knew who it was before answering it.

“You're _still_ in with the code?”

“It's not done yet.”

“If it works, it's done. It can be polished later. You don't have a lot of time for playing around with this.”

“I have plenty of time, Kaiba. The testing just started.” He returned to his work of reworking some of the code and tried to ignore the cold glare on his back.

Kaiba sighed through his nose. “You have a half an hour.”

“An hour.”

“This isn't a negotiation.”

“I'm not negotiating with you, I'm _correcting_ you. I'm even cutting corners if I get this done that quickly.” He looked at the screen. “Believe me, I would rather be down there too. But if I want the final boss of the first main quest to work properly, I have to make sure this is right.”

A siren screamed.

Yugi winced and looked around, hands over his ears at the sound.

“What's going on?”

Yugi turned to his code and swallowed thickly. “I'll... have to call you back.”

 

The explosion was loud. It shook the world around it and caused a ripple throughout the town. None of the people around them seemed to notice. Atem looked at the mountain in time to see something shoot from it. “Mana, are there any volcanos in this game?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

He pointed to whatever was shooting out of the mountain.

Mana followed his finger, her body glitched for a second when her eyes locked onto the form. “It's... coming closer.”

Atem saw. Not that it would matter because he didn't consider the odds of where that was going to land until he saw two large, panicked eyes. Another human body slammed into him and both were sent tumbling back.

Mana flew after them and looked down at the bodies. “This wasn't part of the programming! I don't know what's happening! Player v Player battles aren't possible in towns!”

Atem groaned and opened one eye to look at his guide. “I believe you.” Did this mean this was an NPC? Maybe it was a mission thrown in last minute that he somehow triggered despite it not being apart of Mana's knowledge. He sat up and looked down at the other person who was now stunned and laying on his lap. His clothing wasn't anything he thought he'd see in a fantasy world; a nice blue button up shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. He wore a thin black collar as well.

He was almost afraid to move him. “Mana, who is this?” Maybe he could get some information on this character.

The guide nodded and looked down at the newcomer. “His login name is SSAwesome.KC. His real name isn't listed.”

“Is that possible?”

“Not for a beta tester or any future players. Your information is listed so everything can be properly entered for the sake of the game's functions. He works for Kaiba Corp.”

The newcomer groaned and rubbed his head. The feeling was way too realistic; he might have to dial back the pain sensors a little more.

Atem tilted his head and looked at the other closely. “I know you just flew through the air but I have to ask; are you alright?”

The person looked up at Atem with wide eyes. Now that Atem could see him awake, he was able to appreciate the other. His eyes were like two pieces of amethyst that had been plucked from the Earth and placed ever so gently into his irises.

Pretty.

“Uh, y-yeah. Are _you_ okay?”

Atem smiled at him. “Yes, I'm fine. It was a good thing I was here to break your fall.”

The other's face turned beet red. He pulled himself back up and adjusted his clothes. “W-well, I should get back to what I was doing... um, it was nice meeting you!” He turned. He had to get out of here before he could say something stupid.

“Wait.”

Yugi turned back, his face still the red color it was when he'd seen who broke his fall. What were the odds that it was this guy?! Why did even the universe he created look for ways to make his life just that much harder?

The other man pulled himself to his feet. “I know you might not have time for my questions but there was some sort of quake after you shot out of the mountain.”

“Really?” That couldn't be good.

He nodded. “Is that something to be concerned about?”

Yugi tapped his lips with his finger as he thought about it. He wasn't the best liar; he knew if this question was asked to Kaiba there would be a lie then a backup lie to support the first.

But Yugi wasn't Kaiba. “Maybe...”

“Oh.”

“I mean, it's not like you'll be trapped in the game or anything like that. Just, eh...” He looked back up at the mountain and frowned. “It just might affect something in the gameplay.”

Atem's eyes followed Yugi's.

He then heard a sigh. “Unless I can find a back door, the trek up there's going to be hard.” If he remembered correctly, everything near the area for beginning levels was pretty tightly sealed to keep testers from exploiting the developer's back door.

Although, if there was anyone he wouldn't mind letting through there... He shook off the thoughts before they could be completed.

Mana floated over to Yugi. “Do you know where you might find one? We might be able to help!”

Atem tilted his head. “Or maybe it would be simpler for you to just leave and log back in?”

Yugi smiled awkwardly. “Well, to do that, I might need to shut down my side of the system and anything left unsaved would be lost.”

“How long has it been since you've saved?”

He didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Atem.

“Has it been that long?”

He turned to the other gamer and forced a grin. “Hey, how bad could it be to not save when you assume you're stuck in the program for a while?”

He paused. “Would it be out of the question for you to call someone in to help? Possibly one of the Kaiba siblings? Or Mr. Mutou?”

The developer sucked in a deep breath and straightened up. “I guess I should do this, shouldn't I?” He turned back to Atem and smiled. It was much more genuine this time around. “Hello. My name is Yugi Mutou.”

Atem nearly swallowed his tongue.

Mana blinked and let out a soft gasp. “Oh. That's very embarrassing. I had no idea I was speaking to my own creator!”

“Yo-you're Yugi Mutou...” It came out as a whisper as Atem's eyes widened and he stood very still.

Yugi nodded and laughed despite himself. Somehow, this man had gone from the embodiment of sex to an adorable fanboy in no time flat. “Yup. I guess I am.”

There was a split second of wide eyes and a deep red face before Atem covered his mouth and turned away. He sucked in deep breaths to calm himself then turned to Yugi. “I'm a... big fan. Um,” he coughed into his hand, “I sort of wasn't expecting you to be so...”

Yugi raised an eyebrow and continued to smile in amusement. “Young?”

“Attracti- yes, let's go with 'young.'”

Yugi blinked at him. He could feel his own face heating up. “Well, I get 'young' a lot.” Never attractive. He grinned and pretended the blush wasn't there. “Seto Kaiba isn't the only prodigy in the gaming world.” He held the smile for a moment while he screamed internally. God, that was lame; why is he so lame?

Atem blinked in confusion. Then, he snorted and laughed softly.

The blush on Yugi's face deepened. Great, he knew he'd somehow screw it up if he met this guy. Why, of all people, did it have to be the hot new beta tester?

“S-sorry, I'm sorry.” He sighed and wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “That was just... really cute.”

Yugi's face nearly turned purple at the statement and Atem looked off to the side in horror as he realized what he had said.

Mana cleared her throat. “Uh, Master Mutou? Do you have any defense to get yourself back up to the mountain?”

Yugi looked to the AI, thankful for the distraction. “Well, not really yet. I'm sure I'll be able to find something along the way.” He looked at himself then off to the side before he frowned in confusion. “Um, can you read any of my stats?”

Mana looked at him for a moment before she frowned as well. “Sorry, but I don't see anything.”

“But you can see _me_.” It was a statement that needed no answer. He looked beyond the town and into the trees of the forest surrounding. After a moment, he let out a long sigh. “I don't know what that means for my survival. I might be like some sort of glitch when I'm outside of the mountain like this.”

“Which means what?”

“I might not be able to get attacked.” He reached out and touched Mana carefully. When his hand pushed her away rather than going right through her, he frowned. “Maybe not. But if I'm attacked, I might just be booted. Or it could screw up because there are no stats to go against. Either way, I'd rather not find out what would happen.”

Atem and Mana shared a glance with one another. It takes a moment before Atem turned back to Yugi. “We can protect you then.”

Yugi blinked and looked at Atem, puzzled.

“I mean, I'm not exactly a high level yet but the least I can do is distract enemies and make it easier for you to get back up the mountain.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I don't think any of us want to find out what would happen if you were attacked.”

“You really don't have to-”

“We got your back, Master Mutou!” Mana pumped her little fist excitedly and moved closer to Yugi's face. She grinned.

Atem glanced at her before offering a smile to his companion. “I want to. It's the very least I can do after you afforded me this opportunity.” He held out a hand for Yugi. “Let's get you back to where you belong.”

Yugi felt his face heat up once again. He wanted to remind Atem that it was actually Kaiba Corp that hired the beta testers, not him. But he couldn't. Not when the other's smile was so genuine.

Yugi took the hand in his own. “Yeah. Thanks.” He would have to do something to make it up to Atem once they were all through with this.

He could tell already this guy's smile was going to be the death of him.

 

He was walking next to Yugi Mutou. He, Atem, had a full conversation with Yugi Mutou and he was a very nice guy. He got to escort Yugi Mutou. He got to meet Yugi Mutou.

He got to _see_ Yugi Mutou. And he got the deepest pleasure in learning Yugi Mutou is one of the most beautiful people in the world.

“What's with the smile?” He heard the developer ask in curiosity and amusement.

Atem hadn't even realized he was smiling. He looked at Yugi to see the other smiling at him. His face began to heat up and he turned away with a cough.

“N-nothing. I'm just thinking about,” he looked around, “how real and beautiful this world looks.”

If Yugi was unconvinced, he didn't show it. Instead, he turned and looked around at the forest. “Yeah, this part of the game has more of a focus on the realism rather than the fantasy elements. I'm pretty happy with it.” He reached up and grabbed a tree branch. It dragged down as he gripped it and something landed on the ground at their feet.

Atem looked down at a large, red apple with small yellow spots around the top.

“I don't know how inventory works for me at the moment so I can't touch it.” Yugi let go of the branch. “Just pick it up.”

He did just that. As soon as he did, something beeped and the apple disintegrated in his hand. White and red particles came up from his hand.

“Hey! You got your first item in your inventory!” Mana appeared next to Atem and caused the tester to jump. “Anytime you need an item, just ask me and I'll retrieve it!”

Yugi smiled at the surprised expression on his companion's face. As much as he wanted to admire just the other's appearance, it was also very nice to see how impressed and excited he was about each and every little thing in this world. Yugi had really worked hard on this game; it was something in development for years.

But he'd been so involved in it that he hadn't been able to see it from the other end. Maybe it was a good thing he crashed into Atem.

Atem laughed at something Mana said. The little magician laughed with him and sat cross-legged on her staff. The interaction made Yugi smile. He liked seeing that someone was interacting with the guides as if they were people.

Maybe it was a good thing he landed on Atem's lap, of all people.

“Master Mutou?”

Yugi blinked and looked at the two. He hadn't even realized they were talking to him. “Huh?”

Mana tilted her head with a frown. “Which direction would be best?” She waved her hand and brought up a large map for both of them to see.

Atem blinked at the area. The world was huge! And the way to the mountain seemed to be through several different forests and towns if they took the most direct route. A little red dot blinked near the bottom of the map, signaling their location.

Yugi crossed his arms with a hum. “Well, the base of the mountain is surrounded by high-level enemies so we would be better off avoiding that.” His eyes scanned the map with a frown. “The nearest backdoor would probably be around here.” He pointed towards the middle of the map where it looked like a dark void was trying to take over. “But, again, high-level enemies.”

Atem walked up and stood right by Yugi's side. He didn't seem to notice how close they were as he looked over the map himself.

The closeness didn't get passed Yugi. He tried not to look at Atem as the tester stared at the map with an intense expression. He could feel the heat and he wasn't sure if it was coming from his own body or Atem's. Atem's shoulder brushed up against his as he pointed to the other corner of the map. “What's there?”

Yugi swallowed and looked over where Atem was pointing. It was a collection of houses much too small to be considered a town. It was remote; surrounded by forest. “That's the Masters' camp. It's where some of the maxed out characters from the Alpha tests stay.” He looked at it with a thought. “I came up with the idea not too long ago. They volunteered to teach any players the different skills that-” He trailed off when his eyes fell on Atem.

The beta tester looked like a kid in a candy store. “Masters....” He whispered it to himself. Maybe... _he_ could be a Master. He could join that community! Atem shook it off. “R-right. But they're probably surrounded by high-level enemies, right?”

“Actually no. Because it's a new addition, I didn't place anything to keep lower levels out.” He shrugged. “I also kinda liked the idea of people being able to go there and learn from them. Kind of like a way to level up and learn skills without too much grinding.”

Atem eyed the spot. “Is there a backdoor near them?”

Yugi smiled. “There is. For someone who doesn't need their training, they're the ones keeping people out.”

“But what if _they_ use it?”

“It's fine. I trust them. They're not going to go in there and break anything. On purpose, at least.” He put his hands on his hips and tilted his head in thought. “I think that's our best course of action. It'll also give me an excuse to stop in and see them before going back into the code.” He wanted to fix everything before so they could all test it out together but it would seem that wasn't the way this was going to go.

He sighed. What a hassle.

“I guess we should begin then, right?” Atem looked to the sky. The sun had moved since last he saw. “There's day and night in this game.”

Yugi looked back at him with a nod. “Yeah.”

Mana chimed in as she pulled her map away. “And nighttime travel can be dangerous between missteps that could send you tumbling and the nocturnal enemies.”

Atem nodded. “So we'll walk until sunset and set up camp.”

There was a noise in the brush near them. All three of them jumped and Atem positioned himself in front of Yugi, sword drawn. He glared at the bushes.

And out popped a rabbit.

Atem and Mana let out a relieved sigh.

Yugi didn't. “I... I'm gonna climb this tree.” He turned and pulled himself up into the branches.

Atem turned and raised an eye in confusion. “Why?”

“Uh... You'll see!”

The rabbit sniffed the air with its little bunny nose.

Atem ignored it and looked around for what Yugi saw. Clearly, there was another troll or something in the area.

“Uh, Atem?” Mana pointed at the rabbit, arm shaking lightly.

Atem looked back down. As soon as he did, the now foaming animal let out a shrill scream and jumped at his face.

“What the _Hell_?!” He brought his arm up just in time to protect his head. Sharp teeth chomped into the fabric of his shirt and into the flesh of his forearm. He shook his arm.

It didn't let go.

He beat it with his fist.

It didn't let go.

 _“What the Hell?!”_ He pried open its mouth and threw it to the ground. For a moment, he ignored the burning sensation left behind and slammed down his sword on the little monster.

It hissed at him in reply and bounded off into the forest.

Atem moved to chase after it but then remembered his current mission. As he paused, the world began to tilt.

Mana looked at him in worry. “A-Atem! You've been poisoned!” She tried to push him up straight as he swayed again.

His vision was starting to go. He felt like she wasn't speaking a language he understood. “Wha?”

“M-Master Mutou!”

He swayed again and a much more stable grip caught him.

“I should have warned you.” Yugi winced and looked off in the direction the rabbit fled. He put a hand behind Atem's head and carefully leaned him against the tree he climbed earlier.

“What can we do?! We don't have any healing items!” Mana looked at her creator in worry. The look seemed so genuine.

Almost as genuine as Yugi's.

“There's nothing we can do. We just have to hope he doesn't-”

Atem didn't hear the rest. He passed out.

 

He couldn't help but be surprised when he didn't end up back at the town that would mark his last save. Instead, he came to a few hours later to Mana staring down at him. She smiled in relief. “You're alive.”

Atem grunted and shifted against the tree where he was propped up. The world was getting dark now but he felt... healthy. “How?”

There was the sound of something moving closer. Atem reached for his sword only to immediately relax when Yugi made his appearance. He smiled softly. “Good, you're awake.”

Mana smiled as well and gestured to Yugi. “Master Mutou managed to find some healing herbs and push them over to you.”

“It turns out I can't add to an inventory but I can hold things for a short amount of time.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked at a small, glowing plant under an adjacent tree. “It really only cured the poison. You healed a little in your sleep but something would have to be brewed to make an actual potion for your HP.”

Atem blinked and listened to what Yugi was saying. He didn't have to do any of that; he could have simply waited for him to die and found him at the entrance of the town. They weren't so far off that he couldn't figure out a way.

Instead, he risked a glitch by giving him an item.

He must have been staring for a while because when he finally came out of his thoughts, Yugi was staring back awkwardly. “Oh, uh... Thank you.”

Yugi smiled softly at him.

Atem smiled back for a moment before he remembered himself and climbed to his feet. “We might as well set up camp here and start fresh in the morning. It could be dangerous to travel just yet.”

“Yeah.” Yugi reluctantly climbed to his feet as well. “If you gather flint and wood, you can make a fire. That should be enough for tonight. Unless you had time to pick up camping gear before our, uh, meeting.”

Atem shook his head. “Next town, we'll get something.” But for now, it was off to set up a fire.

 


	2. Chapter 2

He couldn't believe how well that worked.

Sure, he hadn't really meant to launch Mutou from the code but it was preferable to have the developer out of his way. He was just collateral damage, after all. Not even close to the real reason he was here.

“Mutou, what happened?” The voice sounded forceful, harsh and slightly garbled. But there was something like worry in its tone. Cute; the man on the other end cared.

He cleared his thought and looked at the component that allowed the man to speak. He's never heard Mutou. Not many people have. But he was able to garble the speech a bit more with a little fine tuning. The man on the other end wouldn't know the difference.

“Must've been a power surge or something. I'm okay though.”

The voice scoffed. “Just... get the coding done. You're running out of time.”

“Right.” He shut off the communication and looked among the code with a smirk. What an idiot.

Now, he couldn't be sure how much time he had but he knew it was limited. The faster he did this the better.

“It's been a while, 'Brother.'” He grinned widely. “Now, where are you so we can be reacquainted?”

 

Yugi glanced over at Atem while the other busied himself with the fire. He wanted to have some sort of conversation with this man. Anything to get to know him a little better. But what was there to say? Could he really ask him such personal questions?

His eyes caught Atem's. He then quickly looked away and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. The fire was a modest one but it was slowly starting to grow. It wouldn't take much prodding for it to do so.

Yugi remembered what Atem had said to Mana before he knew she was recording him. About how excited he was to be in this game simply because Yugi was the one to create it.

Oh, if only he knew.

If only he knew this was the work of someone who spent days inside without even a thought to looking at the outside. If only he knew Yugi spent the better part of his days forgetting to eat because of these games.

If only he knew what a mess he was. What was that old saying? 'Never try to meet your heroes?'

He imagined Atem was the type of guy who woke up at the crack of dawn to go for a run. The type of guy who was just a natural in any given situation.

But then Yugi had to reach out and slap his hand away from the flame. “Fire's hot.”

Atem blinked then chuckled sheepishly. “I just... didn't know if you somehow put that into the game as well.”

He smiled and looked at the flames. “Yeah, I might have to tune it back a little. When we met I kind of felt like I was thrown from a mountaintop.” His smile widened when he heard another small laugh from his companion.

They fell into another moment of silence. This one was a little less tense.

It made it a little easier to start a conversation. “So, how did you end up in here? You don't seem like the usual Kaiba Corp employee.”

Atem raised an eyebrow. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

“Maybe.”

Atem smirked and poked at the flames with a stick. “I found the job much like anyone else; there was an ad placed online. The interview process was... strange. We were expected to play a game and he would decide who got the job depending on that.”

Yugi sighed. Yep, that sounded like Kaiba.

“Honestly, I'm surprised I got the job after that.” Atem just stared into the fire, his lip upturned slightly.

Yugi shrugged, taking the smile as humorless. “Kaiba can be a bit competitive and that can be intimidating. You couldn't've done that poorly if you're here.”

Atem blinked at Yugi. For a moment, he just stared in confusion. But then realization took over with a soft smile. “Oh. You misunderstood. I won the 'interview process'.”

That caught Yugi a little off guard. “You... won?” It wasn't unheard of, really.

Kind of.

Okay, Yugi only knew of one person who beat Kaiba in a game and it was himself.

But Atem nodded. “Several times. He became so frustrated, he threatened to call security.” The beta tester ran a hand through his hair. “He called me the next day with the offer. I almost asked him if he wanted to play another game just to see what he'd say.”

This guy just got three times more attractive. Then Atem's smile widened and three turned into seven.

Yugi had to look away before he opened his mouth and said something weird. “I would've paid to see that.” He hoped that didn't sound too strange.

Atem didn't seem to think so. He responded with amusement in his voice as his head tilted up to look at the stars. “You might not have to. He's convinced I cheated so he keeps contacting me for a rematch.”

He looked at Atem. “Then I'll be there to cheer you on.”

His eyes kept focused on the stars. “I'll be honored.”

Yugi's face felt like it was on fire. Before the moment could shift into silence again, Yugi stood up and coughed into his fist. “We should rest up. You still have a bit of health to recover.”

With the moment broken, Atem remembered where they were. This wasn't some simple camping trip. He was in a game and he had a mission.

Rest was important. He would need to be in top form to keep this up if that rabbit were any indication. “But what about enemies?”

“The fire keeps them away. If you were at a higher level, that would be a problem but it wouldn't be fair to attack someone new in their sleep.” Yugi leaned against a nearby tree and got himself comfortable. “I just hope you're not a sleepwalker or anything like that. Because while we're safe in here, you won't be safe as soon as you step away from the light.”

Atem looked out into the dark forest warily. He backed up and moved a little closer to the fire.

Yugi just watched from his spot near the tree. He smiled a little to himself. Never could he imagine such a beautiful, perfect person could be standing right before him like this. And be the hugest of nerds.

He eventually settled in a spot near the fire, at an angle where he only needed to turn his head slightly to see Yugi. Mostly, he seemed focused on the stars.

Yugi closed his eyes. “Night, Atem.”

It took a moment before he received a soft, unsure reply. “Good night, Mr. Mutou.”

The developer's smile widened. “Call me Yugi.”

The statement made Atem's heart flutter in his chest. He met Yugi Mutou. He was helping Yugi Mutou. He was allowed to call Yugi Mutou by his first name.

Atem knew this was a bit of a tense situation. Who knew why Yugi was down here after all. But he couldn't help his selfish thought. He thanked whatever weird glitch caused their meeting.

He might regret that thought later if something completely corrupted this beautiful world, but for now, Yugi Mutou knew he existed.

And that was enough.

 

“Oh, my sweet little prince.”

The words caused a tremor down Atem's spine. That tone was not a sweet, kind one. It was a tone of disappointment.

He didn't want to disappoint her. His young mind might not be able to handle it.

“I'm sorry.” He said it without knowing what he did wrong. From what he understood, there was nothing to forgive. He was trying to be his best.

He was trying.

A hand wrapped around his forearm. “Me too, sweetie.” She was dragging him.

And he knew where she was going.

His little heart slammed against his chest as he tried to stop the movement. He didn't want to go. Tears welled up in his eyes. “Please. I... I'm scared of the dark.”

The dragging didn't stop. It didn't even slow down. “You should have thought of this before, little prince.” They stopped in front of a door. It was large and heavy with the lock on the outside.

He whimpered and looked up at her. He couldn't see her face.

The door opened and he was shoved into the dark room.

He whipped around quickly, hoping to be fast enough to run by her. If he kept going, he could find Father! Then, he would be safe.

The door slammed shut before he could reach it. His banging on it muffled out the 'click' of the lock.

“No! Please! I'm sorry! _Mother!_ ”

He woke up to Yugi standing over him. Mana floated there with him and both looked at him in confusion and worry.

“I thought you were having some kind of fever dream.” Yugi frowned.

“I thought you were dying.” Mana looked as though she would cry. She looked back at Yugi. “Can dreams kill?”

Yugi gave the little guide a smile. “No, not in this version.” He tapped his finger to his lip as a thought occurred to him. “But that might make an interesting idea for a later installment.”

Well, now _that_ was something to look forward to. Atem pulled himself up into a sitting position. “How's my health, Mana?”

“You're at one hundred percent! Back in top form and ready to take on the world!” She gave him a thumbs up.

Atem smiled back and gave her a thumbs up of his own. “Good. Then we should head out.”

Yugi looked at Atem. He wanted to ask about the dream. He wanted to ask why the other would cry out in such terror.

But he was afraid to ask. It was probably a very personal thing. Dreams that elicit that much emotion were rarely something so easily explained, even if he wanted to. Yugi wasn't going to pry; they didn't know each other all that well.

But he couldn't help but feel a little concerned for his companion.

Mana brought up the map again and Atem looked it over. He hummed to himself in thought. “Considering we made no progress yesterday, we should cover as much ground as possible.”

Yugi nodded and poked at the map where the Masters' were. The holographic screen rippled under his finger. “If you put your finger right here, you can track the location.”

Atem blinked and followed his lead.

Mana blinked and looked at Atem. “That's where you want to go?” She asked as if she didn't already know.

Atem nodded. “Yes.”

She smiled. “Right! Then let's get going!”

Atem blinked when something new appeared in his vision. It was a small, glowing dot in the distance. The purple stood out from the green and made it easy to spot. “I'm assuming that's the marker.”

Yugi nodded. “I can't see it because I don't have a guide to ask. But now you'll know the direction to head no matter how turned around we get.”

Atem put his hand over the marker and found it move right through to glow on his skin. There was nothing that could get in its way. “Amazing.”

Yugi grinned. “Let's head out.”

Atem grinned back. “Right!”

Their journey began on foot through the woods. For a while, Atem's focus was on that glowing dot that seemed brighter than everything else in his vision. But then, the world started to come into play a little better.

There were creatures unlike any he'd ever seen. Wolves with flowers in bloom instead of fur. Dinosaurs with brilliant feathering.

In the sky, Atem could see the shadows of dragons.

Watching Atem discover all of it brought a smile to Yugi's face. With each new discovery, the tester lit up even brighter. He knew it was possible Kaiba wouldn't have hired Atem if he knew about this bias. It's hard for someone to pinpoint problems when they're so focused on the beauty of it all.

But Yugi couldn't argue that it felt good to know someone was such a deep fan of his work. He spent so much time behind a computer and did his best to hide his face from the public eye. As a result, he never got to meet a fan like Atem.

Although, as he watched the beta tester jump away from a glowing blue frog near the river they were following, he wondered if there really was another fan like Atem. He watched Mana laugh at him while trying to explain the frog wasn't at all dangerous, despite its odd look.

Atem walked back over and cautiously poked it with his finger. It didn't move to attack or even run away. When it didn't, he picked it up to study it a little closer.

Then its tongue shot out and stuck to his face. The slimy appendage landed right in his eye. In his surprise, Atem threw back the frog and caused it to skip across the water onto the other side of the river. It then proceeded to croak and hop away.

And Yugi proceeded to laugh.

For a moment, Atem just stared at his laughing companion. He wanted to be upset and pout about his wounded pride. But to see Yugi so full of amusement brought him quickly out of it and onto a much lighter mood. He chuckled softly and looked down at the river. “You should lower the pain reception. I can still feel that tongue in my eye.”

“R-right, right.” Yugi wiped the tears of mirth away and walked over to Atem. “Let me see.” He took the other by his face and looked deep into his eye.

Atem blinked and sat frozen. His eyes stayed locked onto Yugi's as he was hyper-aware of how close the other was. People didn't usually get this close. He usually didn't like it as it meant quickly defending himself.

But Yugi wouldn't hurt him. Right?

No. No, of course, he wouldn't. Why would he? Even if he meant nothing to the other, he still needed the tester to help him get back to work.

He was safe. Yugi wouldn't try to hurt him. Yugi was good. He was sweet.

But, really, how much did he truly know about Yugi Mutou?

“It looks okay. Just a little red, I guess.” Yugi backed off ever so slightly. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. I'm fine.” He smiled at Yugi. “I'm just... still a little shaken by it, I guess.”

Yugi didn't believe him at first. There was something he was missing from the entire situation. But he was too afraid to figure it out. Too afraid to ask.

Instead, he just smiled. "Then we should probably just get going, don't you think? We don't want to keep waiting much longer."

Atem blinked. "Is there something in the forest that's worrying?" He didn't know if he could handle another thing like the rabbit from yesterday. As they were getting further and further away from the town, he was getting more and more concerned about the of his companion. What if he died out here? Would he ever be able to find Yugi again? Would Yugi be safe from anything out to get

He couldn't be sure. And he didn't want to risk it. Not in the least bit.

But there was very little that sitting around here would be able to help. They were on a mission. He needed to get him back to where he belonged.

Not to mention, Atem wanted to see these "Masters." That was really all he wanted now. He wanted so badly to be part of that group.

Yugi smiled at him as the beta tester started off with a dreamy look of determination. There was something about him. Maybe Yugi just had a thing for this type of guy; he couldn't be sure. But he wanted to know more.

Soon, Atem snapped out of his daydream and grabbed hold of Yugi's hand. "Right. We should go."

The developer grinned. "If we hurry, we might make it to a nice point before sundown. There's a spot I'd like to show you." He walked off ahead and followed the river.

Atem blinked, his face heating up ever so slightly. There was something Yugi wanted to show.... him? "Oh?"

Mana popped in near Atem's shoulder. "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

The heat flared up even more as he looked away from her. "I-it's not like that."

She grinned widely. "Oh, yeah? So then this must be sunburn." She poked his face with her tiny finger. "C'mon, Atem, you really should protect yourself from that radiant sun."

Yugi blinked and turned back when he realized Atem wasn't following just yet. He tilted his head. "Hey, you coming?"

Mana continued to grin as Atem stood up straighter. "Uh, yes. I'm on my way!" He trotted up to Yugi and returned to his journey at hand.

 

It was a dark room with only the light of a few floating screens. He couldn't say he particularly enjoyed it. It reminded him a little too much of his punishment room growing up. But he really had very little choice in the matter.

If he wanted to get in contact with the one 'family member' he had left, then he would have to get his attention in a way that he would never expect.

He pulled a screen closer as he stretched out his muscles. He didn't know this place would feel so cramped. He was basically in his own mind; why was it so cramped? Wasn't the point of Mutou's games imagination above all else or some dumb shtick like that?

Ugh, it was no wonder his 'brother' enjoyed this kind of thing. He was just a big nerd.

His eyes scanned the cameras. Each one gave him something different about the world. He could see parts that were broken, glitching in and out and showing the coding behind it. He could see a few testers wandering the world. None of them were the people he was looking for.

He found a focus on a small village in the middle of seemly nowhere. They looked like a strong and happy group of players. He would have to keep a note on them.

But he couldn't find the one person he needed. As much as he scanned, he was coming up empty.

“Ugh, this is bullshit. Do you even know I'm looking for you?" He ran a hand down his face. “Of course you don't; you're much too thick to think something like that. But then how are you so good at hiding from me? Where have you gone?"

He would just have to keep searching. There was no way he left the world already; the tests seem to have just begun! He had to find him no matter what it took.

The little prince couldn't escape from him this easy.

 

The sun was slowly descending into the horizon as the forest opened up into a clearing. Atem could see the light of fireflies hovering over a large body of water as they reached the river's source. The lake rippled near the small mouth of the river.

Yugi smiled as he walked over to a tree. "This is Lake Senku."

Atem looked at it interest. "Lake Senku. Is there something special about it?"

Yugi nodded. "Mhm. There's this fish inside the lake. It's a pretty rare breed; A blue glowfish. You can only catch them at night."

"What does it do?"

"The effects are random. It can go from making you level up and healing you passed full health to poisoning you and killing you." The smile didn't fade from Yugi's lips.

Atem chuckled and looked down at the water. "Seems like I shouldn't be willing to risk."

The developer shrugged and sat by the bank. "A friend of mine actually wrote a legend for it that I thought was kind of cute. Maybe a little cheesy."

Atem blinked and silently urged him to continue.

“'Those who partake in the sacred fish together will be bound for all eternity.'" Yugi laughed softly and rubbed the back of his head. "I told you it was a cheesy thing- what're you doing?!"

Atem had already taken off his boots and worked off his shirt. Determination was back in his eyes. "I'm going to catch that fish."

"H-hey!"

It was too late. The other dove into the lake and swam out.

"I didn't even tell you what it looked like." He said it more to himself than he did anything else.

But Mana was still around to hear him. "Well, with a name like 'Blue Glowfish' I think he can figure it out, Master Mutou."

Yugi pouted at the little guide and looked out into the lake as Atem came up for a breath. He quickly dove back in and went under for nearly a full minute.

He didn't care. He knew he would eventually float up. He wouldn't drown. Not like this. Not when he was protecting Yugi.

But he'd be damned if he wasn't going to share this legendary fish with Mr. Mutou.

He couldn't be sure how long he was out there, searching for it. But soon, he saw the blue glow and he followed after it. Then he realized its size.

It was a tiny little thing. Not even the length of his index finger! How was he supposed to bring that back?

He watched it swim for a moment before he had to return to the surface for a breath. "Mana! How do I catch this?!"

"A fishing pole!"

"What if I don't _have_ a fishing pole?"

"Then! uh.... Your hands?!"

Yugi let out a soft snort of amusement and covered his mouth.

Atem dove back down. For a moment, he stayed under the water. When he came back up he was sputtering.

Then, Yugi saw something large and black move in the water. He jumped to his feet. "Atem! You have to get out of there now!"

"I'm so close, though!"

"It's for your own safety! That fish is not the only thing in the lake."

Atem was about to ask what he meant but then he felt something large move between his legs and begin to lift him.

And so he swam harder than he ever thought he could. He was just about to reach the land when a massive tendril shot from the water and wrapped around his ankle. He cried out and ended up with a mouthful of water. It didn't take long for him to be dragged back under, leaving him mostly helpless. The only thing he could do was try to pry the slippery tendril off his ankle.

As his fingernails bit into the monster, he was dragged back out of the water and found himself upside down. He stared into one giant red eye and tried to ignore all the smaller eyes surrounding it. They were all focused on its captive.

"Atem!"

Yugi picked up a rock and threw it at the monster. It succeeded in little more than a soft dent in the flesh of the tendril.

But it did offer a moment of as the creature turned its attention on Yugi.

It was then the developer realized his mistake. He backed up. "Uh, U-unhand him?"

And the tendril did. It flung Atem against a nearby tree before reaching for its creator.

Yugi dodged it but just barely. "Hey! If you kill me, you might end up deleting yourself!" He couldn't for the life of him think why he was trying to reason with the creature. But it felt like the right thing to do. “I can't remember if you were saved or not!”

He stumbled back as another tendril slapped against the ground and prevented him from rolling out of the way. He was feeling very cornered now.

Atem pushed himself up to his feet and sprinted over. "Yugi, move!" He gripped the hilt of his sword and sliced through one of the tendrils.

The beast screamed and the tendril flailed on the ground, slapping its opponent a few times and succeeding in lowering his HP. Atem did his best to avoid the flailing and stabbed into it with a cry.

The beast still screamed and disappeared from view. Blood and oil spewed out of the tendril, covering Atem in the mess.

He panted and looked up at Yugi. The developer was looking at him in surprise. He couldn't read the other's thoughts so he just cleared his throat and sheathed his sword. “I guess it's all safe for now.”

“Y-yeah.” Yugi's face heated up. “Uh, we should build a fire.” He looked away from Atem. “And... you should probably get cleaned up and dressed.”

He looked down at his ink-soaked body. “Oh. Right.” He wiped at the ink on his chest. “Please excuse me.”

“Uh... Uh huh.” Yugi took a glance back at Atem as the other squatted down near the water to clear his skin. He wondered about this fanboy and how he could look like _that_ while still being such a huge nerd. It just didn't seem fair!

He quickly looked away again when Atem's eyes fell on him.

Atem smiled softly and pulled on his shirt. Then, he walked back over to Yugi. “I should get wood, shouldn't I?”

Yugi shrugged. He kept his eyes away from the other and tried his best to look casual. He knew the dark red of his cheeks would be a dead giveaway.

If Atem noticed, he didn't acknowledge it. He just walked on and headed into the small patch of woods to find something to start a fire.

Mana flew closer to his eye. He glanced up at her to see a knowing smile on her face.

He tilted his head. “Yes?”

“Nothing. I just think you two are adorable.” Mana leaned back and studied Atem for a moment before she put her hands behind her head and nodded. “Yeah, I ship it.”

Atem's face heated up. “I didn't know you had that ability.”

“I'm an AI created with love from one of the most brilliant minds on the planet! Of course I have that ability!” She crossed her little arms and smiled. “And, the more you interact with me and level up, the more I learn how to better guide you.”

“Right. Of course. But for the game.”

“You already know how to handle games, Atem. I'm here to guide you in the areas where you're hopeless.” She said the words brightly and cheerfully. It almost didn't feel like an insult.

Almost.

Atem returned to his task of gathering wood with a sigh. “Alright, then maybe tell me how to fix the areas where I'm 'hopeless.'”

A grin spread. “Well, first, you gotta work on your flirting. I mean, it's almost like you're not even trying to hit on him. Master Mutou seems like the kind of guy who needs his potential partners to come on strong. So I think you should try something like,” she stood up and leaned one arm against a nonexistent wall. “'Hey, baby-cakes. How about you and me hit the pub after this and then later we can test out the intimacy mechanic. My treat.'” She ended it with a wink.

Atem raised an eyebrow. “There's an 'intimacy mechanic'?”

“Are you really surprised? Master Mutou has something like that in all his games! The dirty perv, he is.” Mana chuckled. “Unless you've never tested out that feature before.”

He didn't say anything. Truthfully, he never cared too much about that part of the gameplay mechanic. His goal wasn't to do anything with anyone; especially in games where he was with another player. It just seemed like a waste of time when there were still options to go exploring or conquering.

“But now you're a beta tester. You have to test it out. For science.” She leaned closer to him with a grin.

Atem just looked at her flatly and picked up a few more branches. “Let's worry about getting Yugi back to his position first.”

“Hehe, back to his position.”

“Mana.”

“Right right. Boy, you sure remind me of a friend of mine. Neither of you are very fun. You're always all business.” She then stood up straighter and forced her voice deeper. “'No, listen to Master Mutou's commands.' 'Stop trying to pick Master Kaiba's nose.' 'Don't go in there, you might get corrupted!'”

“You know, he kind of kept you safe.”

Both of them turned to see Yugi leaning against a tree at the edge of the thicket. He smiled at them and Atem felt a churn in his stomach as he wondered just how much he heard.

If he heard what they were talking about, he didn't inquire about it. Instead, he just tilted his head and looked down at Atem's arms. “Seems to be plenty of wood. We can get a nice fire going with that.” He turned and walked away, back to where Atem had dove into the water and left the tendril he cut off.

Atem promptly followed after him.

They sat in silence as the fire was created. Atem pulled back as soon as the little flame began and watched it grow from his kneeling position on the ground. Mana's 'help' still echoed in his head. Was Yugi unlucky enough to hear what she said? And f he had, what did he think of it? Was the thought of it at all appealing?

Is that even what Atem wanted?

He cleared his throat. “So... the intimacy mechanic.”

Yugi blinked in surprise and turned to Atem. “Wh-what about it?” By the look on his face, Atem could tell this came out of left field to Yugi.

Maybe that was the best option. Out of the corner of his eye, Atem could see Mana watching on excitedly. “How... How does one go about testing that?”

Yugi blinked for a moment before giving his companion a knowing smirk. “Looking to see if you can have some X-rated fun?”

Atem's face turned bright red. “N-no... Uh, Mana just said something about it and I was curious.” He leaned back and tried his best to look casual. “Has anyone tested it?”

Yugi nodded. “A friend of mine did. He's one of the Masters now. It kind of caught everyone off guard,” he sighed softly, “me included.”

“How so?”

“I didn't realize he had that kind of relationship until we found them 'testing the feature.'” Yugi rubbed the back of his head. “Kinda thought they hated each other.”

Atem decided it was best not to ask any more details about his friend's love life. “So, it's safe to assume its already been tested.”

“Yeah but only by one couple. It still needs to go through a few tests to make sure it runs properly for everyone and that one time wasn't a fluke. But you can't exactly put an ad out just for that.” The smirk returned. “You know, you're asking a lot of questions about it for a man who claims to not want to test it.”

Atem was quickly becoming a lovely shade of deep red. “I... I'm just trying to be thorough in my job.”

“Well, it is an 'intimacy' thing. You have a partner you'd like to pull in here?” Yugi felt his heart speed up as he waited with apprehension. He almost didn't want to know the answer to this question.

Hope trembled in him when Atem shook his head. “There's no one like that in my life, no.”

“Hmmm, interesting.” He mumbled more to himself and looked away from Atem. He didn't want the other to notice any gleam of excitement at that news. It was probably written all over his face. He wondered if it would be a breach of contract for him to ask Atem out. He wasn't even really supposed to meet the beta testers so he wasn't exactly his boss.

“And you?”

Yugi blinked as he was forced out of his thoughts. His eyes landed on Atem, who sat there patiently. “Sorry, what?”

“Are you seeing anyone?” He paused for a moment, then added quickly, “if you don't mind me asking, that is. I know you keep a certain distance from fans.”

“Oh. No, it's fine.” He looked back at the fire. “But no, I'm not seeing anyone either.”

Atem nodded, his expression perfectly masked. “I see.”

Mana watched the exchange with a large grin.

Atem did his best to ignore it. Silence engulfed them. It was a calm, companionable silence. Comfortable; like two friends who have known each other forever. He leaned back and looked up at the sky. “There are so many stars here.”

Yugi looked up and laughed softly. The sky was absolutely covered in the little lights. Some groupings of stars looked like little nebulas. “Yeah, I think I got a little carried away.”

“Nonsense. It's beautiful.” His eyes scanned the sky. A few of the lights slowly began to move. “It's a perfect reminder this isn't Earth.”

Yugi's eyes were no longer on the sky. He stared at Atem and smiled softly. He should be freaked out by what happened to him. He should be worried about why the program booted him in such a way. And, had he hit the ground and not had this beta tester under him, he might've.

But there was something very calming about the presence of Atem. He looked at the other and felt, at that moment, everything would be alright. It would all work out. He felt safe, secure. Like there was no one and nothing that could stand in his way so long as Atem was in his corner.

It was an odd feeling to get from a person he just met. He wondered if it was just Atem's effect on people.

“Yugi Mutou! Is that you, honey?!”

Both parties jumped as another person stepped into the clearing. Atem looked at the newcomer in surprise and found his voice lock in his throat. Many of the beta testers knew one another from the initial interview and the training classes later on. Kaiba made sure of it so that they would instantly recognize them as another person and not an NPC.

This woman was not apart of the beta team, he would have remembered her. But she clearly was not apart of the game's coding either. The woman carried herself with confidence, as if the entire area was her's and they were only guests in her world. Her armor looked feathery despite clearly being metal and had a purple sheen to it that caught the light of the fire beautifully. Her blonde hair flowed with each step and her perfectly painted lips smiled at the sight of, what Atem could only guess, an old friend.

Yugi stood up and smiled softly at her. “It is.”

She trotted over and immediately pulled the developer in for a hug. The height difference was so drastic, she nearly dragged Yugi off his feet as she pulled him into her chest. “I can't believe Kaiba let you out of your cave so early!” She pulled back and looked at him. Her smile fell. “But... why aren't you in your armor?”

He chuckled sheepishly. “I'm not actually supposed to be out yet. There was... some kind of glitch that brought me out here. We're trying to get to the Masters' camp so I can get back in and fix the issue.”

She blinked. “'We?'” Her head turned as Atem climbed to his feet. “Oh.” A smile began to spread. “Oh my.” There was something deep and mischievous about her tone.

Yugi ignored it. “Atem, this is Mai. She's an old friend from my dueling days.” He turned back to Mai. “Atem's one of the beta testers. He's been trying to help me get there considering I'm a sitting duck in my current state.”

The smile spread. “Oh, yes. I can tell by looking at him he's very helpful.” She held a hand out to Atem. “It's nice to meet you.”

He didn't know why but her statement about his helpfulness made him blush. He took her hand in a firm handshake. “Likewise.”

A small winged woman made an appearance near Mai's shoulder. She didn't say anything but eyed Mana before letting out a soft huff and turning away with her nose up in the air.

Mana gasped and pouted at the harpy. “Rude.”

Mai looked at the AI near Atem. “Hm, Magician Girl. Interesting.” She glanced over at Yugi with a large smile. “Isn't that interesting, Yugi?”

Yugi looked down at the ground as red took over his features. “Y-yeah, I guess.”

Atem looked between the two with a confused frown. “Why is that interesting?”

Mai blinked, her smile fell as she seemed to realize something. “Oh. Uh, Yugi was just really proud of the Magician Girl AI. It just seems like such an odd coincidence that someone who got the Magician Girl would run into him.”

Atem wasn't sure she was telling the whole truth.

Mana blinked and smiled happily at Yugi. “You're really that proud of me, Master Mutou?!”

Yugi's blush started to disappear little by little as he looked back up at Mana. “Well, yeah. You were one of the first AIs that developed so well. A lot of the others don't have so much depth in them.”

“Yugi even thought it was too complex for the Magician Girl to be paired as a guide for any of the users.” Mai grinned at Atem. “So there must be something really special about you.”

He looked away from her and scratched his cheek. “Well, I don't know about that...”

“Aww, so humble. You'll be an adorable addition to the group!” She put her hands on her hips and nodded. “Alright. I decided! I'll be a part of your team for a bit. I kind of wanted to check in at the Masters' camp too.”

Atem blinked. “Are you apart of the Masters?”

There must have been something about the way Atem asked because Mai laughed. “Oh no. I'm not really a 'group activity' woman!”

Yugi crossed his arms and nodded. “We asked her to join but she turned it down.”

“You can't tie me down, sweetie.”

Yugi eyed her with a smirk. “But she'll always go back to see a certain someone.”

And then it was Mai's turn to blush. She had nothing to say for a moment and instead, coughed into her hand and looked around, suddenly all business. “Alright. That's enough on that subject. We have to fix up this campsite so it's properly suited for a lady of my caliber.”

Atem glanced around with a frown. “What's wrong with-” He was interrupted by a large gust of wind that came out of seemingly nowhere. When it stopped, there was a proper campsite with a simple tent, a few simple looking cots and a spit over the fire with three fish roasting.

Mai looked over the area proudly. She put her hand up to her shoulder and the tiny bird woman gave her a high five.

Atem just stood there, staring at the end result. “Huh.”

“There will be none of this roughing it while you're with me, honey. My Harpy and I will always make sure comfort comes first.”

“Your... AI did this?”

“The higher your rank and the closer your bond, the more your guide can help you.” Mai placed a hand on her hip with a smile. “So, as you get closer, Magician Girl will gain more abilities.”

Said 'Magician Girl' frowned. “My name is Mana.”

Mai blinked before smiling again. “Ohhh, you named her! You're just the cutest little nerd!” She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and guided him over to the campfire. “Come on. Let's get to know each other a little better.”

Atem tensed when the woman became so close but didn't fight the affection. “Oh. O-okay.” He glanced over at Yugi, whether to ask for help or simply to make sure he was still nearby he couldn't be sure.

But Yugi followed after the two and smiled softly to Atem. He couldn't help but agree with Mai; Atem would make a perfect addition to their group.

The three of them talked late into the night. Mai and Yugi talked about their times together in different tournaments while every once in a while filling Atem in on the little details so he could get some context to the situation. He was content to just listen and learn about the two.

He especially liked to watch how much Yugi lit up when faced with these stories. It was an expression Atem wished he could see more often. Maybe someday, Yugi would look back on their interactions and have that same look of fondness for Atem.

Maybe Atem would even be there to see it. But he didn't dare push his luck.

It grew late and the three decided it would be best to rest so there would be no concerns for the next set of obstacles along the way. With the addition of Mai's supplies, rest came easier.

But that brought about Atem's restless sleep even quicker.

Yugi and Mai were woken by the soft cry. They looked to each other then back at the curled up form on the other side of the fire.

“Seems he's got a few demons.” Mai frowned and sat up but didn't dare move closer.

Yugi didn't share her fear. He moved over and looked at the shivering form. One he got closer, he could hear Atem murmur soft “no”s. He couldn't be sure what compelled him to do it, but Yugi ran his hand through Atem's hair and gently massaged his scalp. It was something his grandfather would do when he was feeling particularly frightened. “You're okay, Atem. It's okay.”

To both of their surprise, the soft whispers and the touches did well to calm the beta tester. He let out a gentle sigh and one last murmur. “Thank you... Kura.”

Both of them froze but the same thought echoed in both their minds. _Who the Hell was Kura?_

 


	3. Chapter 3

The world was terribly frustrating.

Maybe it had something to do with the way he forced himself into the back door of the code or maybe it was just because the game wasn't yet released to the public eye and thus, extremely flawed. But he found it hard to keep up with some things.

He had his sights on a high ranking player. A blonde woman who clearly could take out anybody she desired if they started a fight with her. As he followed her, he noticed an excited look on her face and she ran for a clearing.

After that, the view glitched out and he lost sight of her.

He knew that the person he wanted to find was going to eventually seek out some high ranking players to challenge. It was part of one of his many flaws. So maybe, he should just return his sight to that village he found before and wait.

He did and watched them carefully as the night came around. All of them looked to be having a good time as they demonstrated their abilities for one another. They talked about things he really didn't care to understand. Clearly, they were the oldest of friends.

They were all interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind them. “Ah ha! This must be the place!”

All four of them turned and looked at the newcomer, a tall blond man with a scruffy beard and a clearly brash attitude.

“You guys are the Masters or whatever, right?”

One of them stood up, a brunet who sat very close to a pale and frail looking boy. “Who wants to know?”

“Heh, you guys can call me Mr. Howard. Cuz I'm here to school ya.”

The one woman in the group looked at him dully. “Are your fighting skills as good as your one-liners?”

The one sitting furthest from the newcomer, a man with messy blond hair, snorted. “If that's the case, he's gonna need a lot more work to take us on.”

'Howard' snorted and rolled his eyes. “Acting all tough? Fine. I'll just have to make an example of one of you.” He pointed to the frail one. “You. Frail Boy. How about it? Seems only fitting that I take out the healer first.”

The brunet sneered at him. “You really think this is going to go well for you no matter _who_ you fight?”

The pale boy didn't share his companion's anger. He just placed a hand on the other's shoulder. “It's okay, Honda. This is how we learn.”

The one apparently named 'Honda' relaxed a fraction.

The newcomer laughed. “See? Your boyfriend understands the lesson.”

The healer stepped out onto a small clearing away from the area where the four were hanging out. The remaining three watched from their seats and didn't bother to move to see the fight clearer.

Frail Boy smiled at the other kindly. “When you're ready.”

Howard wasted no time. He grinned darkly and rushed in, sword at the ready and aiming for the healer's head.

From his place observing the events, he may have blinked; he couldn't be completely sure. He saw the man rush out then the man face down in a crater created by his own body. Frail Boy's hand pressed down in the newcomer's head.

Frail Boy was still smiling that same smile. “I hope this has been an informative lesson for you.” He pressed in again. There was a loud 'snap!' and the body began to fade, most likely bringing him back to his last save. As soon as it was gone, the remaining fighter stood up straighter and brushed his hands together as if to whip away dust. The three smiled and cheered as he returned to his seat next to the man named Honda.

From inside the observation room, he decided he liked this frail-looking man. He might have to get acquainted with him in the near future.

 

“Maybe it's an ex or something. You know, someone he might still harbor feelings for?”

“I don't know. He said he didn't have anyone like that in his life.”

“Please. I think we all have someone that's pretty much 'the one who got away.'”

“I don't.”

Mai looked at Yugi flatly. “Don't lie to me, Mutou.”

Yugi frowned. “That was a high school crush; it doesn't count.”

“You knew exactly what I was talking about though.”

Both jumped when Mana hushed them. “He's waking up now!”

Mai looked at the AI, her eyes brightened with an idea. “Oh! Mana, you can find out about this!”

“Uh, me? But... I can only access the information Atem added at the beginning of the game.”

“Sweetie, there's more than one way to get information out of someone. Ask him about it!”

“I dunno.”

Mai pouted and pushed the developer in front of the AI. “Do it for poor Master Mutou and his aching heart.”

Yugi blinked then shot a look at Mai. “Don't try to guilt trip the AI guides...”

But it was too late. Mai's words echoed in Mana's programming and she looked at Yugi tearfully. “Yes. I'll do it. For Master Mutou's happiness.” She flew off before Yugi could say anything else.

Mana watched as Atem stretched his limbs and blinked the sleep from his eyes. “...I would kill for some coffee.”

Mana laughed awkwardly. “Hah, coffee. That's a good one. Say, who's 'Kura'?”

Mai, Yugi, and the harpy AI all slapped their palms to their faces at the question.

Atem looked at Mana with wide eyes. “I'm sorry... what?”

“Kura. You, uh, said the name in your sleep last night a-and- Um, your heart rate is increasing and you've lost some skin pigment. Did... did I say something to upset you?”

Atem swallowed thickly but shook his head. “N-no. You didn't.” He stood up and closed his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath. “Don't worry about it, okay?”

Mana only nodded and looked at her user in concern. She looked back at Yugi and Mai to see faces matching her own. They didn't say anything more about the subject.

For a moment, he only stood there with his back to his party members. After he recomposed himself, Atem turned and looked at the two. “We should get moving while we can.”

Both of them blinked owlishly before nodding. Mai moved in closer to the campsite. “Right. Let's get everything cleaned up and head out then.” Another gust of wind and all the pieces of the camp were gone.

Once it was cleaned up, she eyed Atem. “We should get you ranked up a little on our way. The Masters might want to take you on considering you're so close to Yugi.”

While he wasn't opposed to being of a higher level, he was a little confused by Mai's reasoning. “Why is that?”

“They're... close. Let's just leave it at that.” She pushed a branch out of the way as they began to walk through the forest again.

Atem looked between the two of them. They were close? How close exactly? “Is it truly anything I should worry about?”

Mai shrugged. “I guess not but one of them might start growling and biting at your legs. He's a bit of a feral guy when it comes down to it.”

Yugi looked at Mai dully. “I'm going to tell him you said that.”

He wasn't surprised when Mai waved it off. “We all know something like that's basically foreplay for the little 'mutt.'”

“She told you?”

“Of course she told me. We have a special bond.” Mai smiled softly at Yugi but the subject was dropped a second later at the sound of something else in the area.

All three of them froze.

“Ooh, there!” Mai half-whispered and grabbed hold of Atem's arm. “This is where we start buffing you, darling. Yugi, you stay here and don't draw any attention to yourself.” They kept low as Mai led Atem away.

He looked back at Yugi, unsure about leaving the other so far away. But the developer didn't look worried; he just gave Atem a gentle smile and a short nod.

“Okay. Focus.” Mai grabbed Atem's chin and directed his gaze away from Yugi and onto the giant lumbering monster. It looked like a bi-pedal bull with a long cape. It gripped a steel trident tightly in one hand.

Mana glided next to him. “That's a battle steer. It might be a little too strong for you.”

Mai smirked. “Honey, that's why I'm here.” She pulled a bow from her hip and notched an arrow. “The bigger and stronger the target, the higher the experience points. At your level, this guy alone should get you up to five or six.” She eyed the enemy. “But you have to land the finishing blow. My attacks can distract it but if I do too much damage and kill it, I'll get the lion's share of the exp. So keep that in mind.”

Atem nodded. “Right.” He stayed low and wandered off to find the best angle to attack. He chose the side furthest from the steer's weapon and looked over at Mai.

The moment he did, she shot up from her hiding spot. “Hey, Stinky!”

Her arrow landed right in its shoulder. It let out an enraged sound and glared at her.

She smirked. “Aww, did that hurt?”

Atem took the opportunity while he had it. He drew his sword and rushed in. He sliced at the monster's hip, doing only a fraction of damage compared to Mai's arrow.

“Ugh, you need a better sword.” She notched another arrow and fired again. This time she hit the steer's hip.

Atem sliced again. “I haven't had the chance or the money.” He turned to his guide. “Mana, what's the status of my magic?” Something blinked near the corner of his eye.

“You're a little over half. It shouldn't take much more.”

The steer's trident slammed into Atem and pushed him back. It took a large chunk of his health; he held his chest in pain.

The steer turned and snorted angrily. Its hoof scrapped at the ground.

“It's about to charge!” Mai positioned another arrow for the steer.

She missed as it ran for Atem. The beta tester dove out of the way before it could hit him. The steer ran headfirst into a tree. For a moment, it paused, dazed.

“Attack now!”

Atem rushed in and took as many swipes at the steer as possible. The damage he was doing was minimal but at least it was something.

“Your magic meter is now full!”

Another hand gesture appeared in the corner of his eye and he followed it. He pressed his palm up, fingers spread. There was a tingle on his forehead before his powers kicked in. Like before, what came from his hand was like a dark shadow. But this time it was bigger and slammed into the steer with a force that knocked the monster to the ground. It cried out even from its place on the ground, wide eyes seeing something that clearly terrified it.

“Land the final blow, Atem!” Mai called out from her position still near the bushes she jumped from.

Atem slammed his sword down into the steer. With one last enraged cry, the monster was dead and faded away into the air of the game.

Mana gasped softly as Atem stood up straight. “Ohh, you've ranked up! You're at Level fo- wait no, fi- nope, uh si-? Seven! Level Seven!”

Mai put a hand on her hip and smirked. “The use of your magic was a good idea. It helps you rank everything a little faster.”

Yugi stepped out of his hiding place cautiously. “That was pretty amazing.”

Atem leaned his sword on his shoulder and did his best to look casual. “Thank you. That means a lot.” He smiled at Yugi.

And Yugi blushed as everything about Atem became the only thing that mattered in this world. His heart thumped against his ribcage and his stomach fluttered. The feeling only increased as he moved closer to the two.

Mai couldn't help but smile and shake her head. Both parts of this duo had it bad. She would like this little mission.

 

Observing the Masters without anyone to fight them became boring after a while so he began to move the camera again to find his 'brother.' For a while, he just found the other betas going through the different areas of the map. He even found 'Mr. Howard' again, clearly agitated from his loss against Master Frail Boy.

But then he went through again on yet another area glitching out. For a moment, he thought about leaving it to search somewhere else but then it cleared just a little and he saw him slide into frame.

Atem.

He found him.

The glitching screen didn't stop but it would occasionally clear up just enough for him to see Atem fighting one of the game's monsters. He watched him defeat the creature with some sort of dark magic energy.

Well. That was an interesting power for the little prince to have.

After the fight was done, Atem looked at his small AI then to the woman the observer had lost track of a while back. Then they both looked off in one direction and the glitch slowly returned.

But not before Atem's face changed from his normal, cocky arrogant self to something much... softer. Gentle, even.

“Oh. So it seems you're smitten.” He smirked coldly. “Isn't that a shame?”

Now, he would just need to find out who this person was and add them to the list of things to fuck around with.

But first, he would need to figure out what was causing the glitch in the video feed.

 

There was a certain bounce in Atem's step that almost went unnoticed to Yugi. Sometimes, it was hard to get a read on the beta tester. It was one of the reasons he wasn't trying to full-on flirt with the man. But, Yugi was quickly picking up on his mannerisms.

And the slight bounce in his walking was something new. What had gotten him in such a mood?

Then Atem turned and smiled at Yugi and all thoughts flew out the window in exchange for fluttering stomachs and flushed faces.

The developer turned when he felt another set of eyes on him. It was Mai with her knowing grin and her harpy AI with a similar look. He looked at them flatly. “Stop that.”

“Stop what, Mr. Mutou? I'm only happy to be here.” They paused at a fork in the road with an old, barely legible sign. The grin widened and her eyes lit up with an idea. “Oh! We're not too far from Doe-Min! We should stop there before going to the Masters!”

Atem tilted his head in a way Yugi found adorable. Like a confused puppy. “What's Doe-Min?”

“It's one of the biggest towns in the South Kingdom. We can upgrade your weapons, stop by the pub, maybe even meet up with a few other beta testers.”

Yugi nodded and looked at Atem. “Originally all of the beta testers were going to spawn in Doe-Min so they could get a feel of the MMO part of the game. But then Kaiba had an idea where depending on how well the 'interviews' went should depend on where they spawn. The easier they passed, the fewer resources in their area.”

Atem's eyes changed from inquisitive to dull immediately. “So it wasn't a coincidence I just appeared in the middle of nowhere and had to fight for my first weapon.”

“Ah, heh. No. Kaiba's... kinda-”

“A dick?”

“I was going to say 'vindictive' but yeah.”

Mai clapped her hands together and returned the boys to her conversation. “So it's settled. We head to Doe-Min.” She nodded and headed to the right.

Atem could still see the marker on the left side of the fork. He thought about the Masters. He wanted to see them so bad!

But, could he really do anything to them with barely any armor and a rusted sword he got from his first win? At least he might be able to get something a little better by taking the little detour.

He followed after Mai and Yugi. The two of them talked and joked with one another in a way only old friends could.

There was a pang of envy for Mai at that moment. He wished he could talk to Yugi so easily but lacked the shared history of this woman. So, for now, he just listened and learned about the past. A past he wished he was apart of.

A past that sounded like a lot more fun than his own.

The small path in the forest began to open up and become more populated with NPCs and other players. Many of the players were people Atem recognized from the interviews. Most of them just gave him a nod of acknowledgment or a look of confusion at him and his companions.

Then he saw the city and he had to stop for a moment to take it all in.

Doe-Min was massive with stone buildings bigger than anything Atem thought he would see in the game. Crowds of people wandered around the cobblestone streets, humans and monsters alike. It was hard to pick out the NPCs from the players as the AI guides seemed to wander further from their player than anything.

And he soon found out why.

“Harpy, be a dear and scout out the pub with the least amount of low-ranking players in it? We're going shopping for some supplies.”

The harpy nodded and flew off.

Atem and Mana looked at one another before Mai grabbed hold of his arm.

“Now, let's get rid of that old rusty knife before you give yourself tetanus.”

Atem stumbled and looked over at Yugi.

The developer shrugged and followed behind with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

Mai shoved open the door of one of the shops and pushed a confused Atem in front of her. “This boy needs some new weapons, my good sir!”

The shop AI, a plain looking man with a permanent smile, nodded. “I see. Take your time and look around. We have many fine weapons for the novice and experienced alike.”

Atem looked at him, unsure. “Does he say that regardless of your approach?” He didn't wait for an answer, he just barked an order. “Hey! Weapons! Now!”

“I see. Take your time and-”

“I have no need for your weapons, Peasant Man.”

“I see. Take your time....” and the AI droned on.

Atem crossed his arms. “He could use a little more variety in his script. It's very simple compared to the rest of the world.” He glanced at Yugi and swallowed thickly. It was hard to think of things that could be corrected when the man who created them was with him.

Yugi just smiled. “Good to know.”

“But enough shop talk!” Mai pushed Atem over to the swords. “A lot of these are made from magic and can increase your own magic strength.”

“But most of them are element specific.” Yugi stepped up and pointed at one of them. A red khopesh sword with a gold hilt. “That one also decreases the cool-down time on Dark Magic.”

“Ooo, and the possibility of 'poisoning' an enemy when the meter is full.” Mana looked at Atem excitedly. “That's the one! We should get that one.”

Atem looked at the price. 1200g. “How much do I have?”

“Sixty!... three....” Mana sighed and looked at the sword again longingly. “But... it's so pretty.”

Mai rolled her eyes and laughed softly. “Promise me a good time at the pub and I've got you covered.”

“... 'A good time?'”

She winked at Atem and threw a small sack of coins on the counter. “The weird sickle blade for my partner here.” She took him in again with her arm around his shoulders. “And the next stop is armor.”

Yugi watched the two silently. He knew what Mai was trying to do and he wouldn't fall for it. He wasn't the jealous type and Atem wasn't even close to his to claim he...

His eyes locked onto Mai's and she smirked at him.

Damn it. He was falling for it.

When the blade was in Atem's hand, he gave it an experimental swing. Shadows and smoke followed after it like a soft blur but disappeared into crimson and gold once the sword was steady in his hand again. On the hilt, he could see the details etched in. Lines were deep in the gold as if the entire handle came apart in pieces. The handguard was an inverted triangle with an eye staring out at them. It gave a soft glow when he would swing.

Mana let out a high pitch squeal as it found its place on Atem's hip. “It's so pretty!”

Mai grinned. “Now, let's find some armor to match it!” She turned and smiled at Yugi. “I think you'll like this part.”

Yugi pretended not to know what she meant.

 

The armor for Atem's level and magic type was pretty much all the same stats. Most of it was pretty evened out with the only true difference being the cosmetic choice.

So, as Atem tried on the different armor, Mai glanced over at Yugi and gauged his reaction. The more flushed the boy looked, the more she claimed she liked the armor. Atem, oblivious to what she was trying to do, didn't seem to care for the look and only cared about how much protection it would offer.

The eventual settlement was a simple but formfitting, deep violet chest armor that left his arms exposed. It gave him room to use an accessory Mai found in another section; gold arm braces for his biceps for another magic power-up. A red half-cape was draped over one shoulder and hung down to his ankles.

His leg ware was black from the belt to his boots. The only light came from the gold sword still on his hip.

And when Yugi saw him, Mai could also see the developer wondering when he would be able to see Atem with the armor off and scattered on a bedroom floor. His mouth was practically watering. She grinned at Atem. “That's the one!”

Atem touched the cape. “Really? But maybe it would be better if...”

“You can't build on perfection, Atem.” Mai's grin widened as she turned to Yugi. “Don't you think?”

Yugi opened his mouth but only a soft squeak of a 'yes' came out.

Atem looked at Yugi in concern. “Are you feeling alright?” He stepped closer, the cape giving a soft billow with his movement as he studied the other's face. “You look a little flush.” His hand moved up and brushed the blond hair away from Yugi's forehead.

The red of Yugi's face deepened as he looked away with a nod. “Y-yeah. I feel fine. Completely chirper!”

Mai grinned and put her hands on her hips. She was so good.

She glanced up as her harpy returned to her place. With her tiny little clawed hands, she pointed out the door.  
Mai nodded. “Looks like we've got a place to test out how food and drinks work.” She smiled at Atem. “First round's on you, big guy.”

He nodded and smiled. “It's the very least I could do.”

They walked out of the shop and followed after the tiny harpy. None of them noticed another man walking down the streets as well. He didn't have an AI guide and his clothing looked like nothing out of the fantasy world. He clearly didn't belong but he walked as if he owned the place.

His eyes landed on Yugi. And he smiled.

They walked a few blocks until the harpy stopped in front of a wooden door. Mai pushed it open and found the pub still had a few players in it but was mostly populated by NPCs. With a quick glance, she was able to determine these players were at least at a level three.

She nodded. “This'll make a good stop. Is there an inn attached too?”

The harpy smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

She smiled back. “You're so good.” She ushered her companions over to a table and motioned to the barkeep. The AI immediately brought over three large glass mugs filled with an amber liquid.

Mai sat in her own chair and lifted the mug. “Here's to more adventures!”

Atem reluctantly lifted his own and gave a half-hearted cheers. “Sahatek.” He took a gulp. It was a strangely sweet ale but he could feel the burn of alcohol run down his throat. He clicked his tongue and looked at the drink. “Does this have a similar effect as real-world alcohol?”

Yugi nodded as he put down his own mug. “More or less. The level of tolerance is the same for everyone, though.” He looked over at one of the people at the bar who was slurring his words. “But if you take it too far, you get booted back to the town entrance and you're sobered immediately.”

Atem and Mai turned and watched him. He was a smaller man with long, messy brown hair. Atem recognized him from Kaiba Corp. He wasn't one of the worst in the lineup but he was far from the kindest or the most humble.

And it seemed drinking brought out a mean streak in him.

He was getting loud and anyone that wasn't an NPC looked as though they were getting uncomfortable. He moved to take a swing at one of the other players then, true to Yugi's words, he popped out of existence.

The player he was about to hit stared at the air in front of him in confusion.

Mai looked impressed. “Smart.”

“It was Jou's idea.”

She smirked. “Who knew there was a brain cell in that head of his.”

Atem frowned. “Jou?”

Yugi glanced at Atem and smiled. “He's still around. You'll meet him soon.”

“He's a good friend of Yugi's and did a couple of the first tests. Even some of the mechanics no one else has been able to test.” Mai leaned back and winked at Yugi. “Isn't that right?”

Yugi paused for a long moment. Then, he brought the mug up to his lips. “We don't talk about that anymore.”

Mai chuckled.

The three of them continued to drink. For a while, the three of them simply watched as more players walked in. Soon, the pub was full of people and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Yugi found quickly he wasn't affected by the drinks at all. He didn't bother saying anything and just sipped for the flavor.

Instead, he felt himself feeling the effects when he watched Atem. The other opened up just a little more with the introduction of alcohol in his system. He and Mai traded stories and found they nearly competed with one another at a Duel Monsters tournament back when he lived in Egypt.

“How wild. If you didn't withdraw, you could've lost to me.” Mai stared at him in surprise, a small smile appearing on her face at the very end. She nodded her head at him. “Why'd you pull out?”

Atem's smile fell ever so slightly. “I.... was forced to move out of the country.” He cleared his throat and looked down at his nearly empty mug. “...family emergency.”

Yugi didn't like that look. He couldn't be sure what happened to Atem, but whatever it was lead to something unpleasant. It was possibly a memory he didn't want to relive.

Without a thought, Yugi placed his hand on Atem's. He watched as the other looked down at their hands then looked into his eyes.

Yugi saw so much sadness. He wanted to cry for the other man.

Mai just watched, wishing she had something more than a mug of ale as a snack for the entertainment in front of her. She didn't dare say anything to break the spell.

But then something else did it.

“Oh, there you are. Mr. Yugi Mutou himself!”

All three turned at the sound of the voice with different expressions. One of exasperated anger, one of innocent confusion, and one of surprised horror.

In the doorway of the pub stood a man in a flamboyant suit. He grinned widely, white hair covering one of his eyes. The players in the pub all murmured at the mention of 'Yugi Mutou.'

He walked closer and smiled at the glaring Mai. “Oh, Mai. You're here too? How rude of me.”

“Crawford. Nice to see someone hasn't killed you yet.”

“Please, Mai dear. Call me Pegasus.”

Yugi slowly climbed to his feet. “Pegasus... How did you get in here?”

“Oh, Yugi.” He laughed softly. “This is the fallback to having a thirteen-year-old boy as a company chairman. There are bound to be some slip-ups.” He pulled up a chair and sat at the table with them. His eyes fell on the beta tester. “And I bet you're Atem Sennen.”

Atem blinked at the mention of his name. Then, his eyes narrowed. “I'm sorry. I don't think we've ever gotten the pleasure of meeting.” He growled at Pegasus.

Pegasus didn't seem to notice. “Oh, we haven't. But your information was open on the CEO's computer in Kaiba Corp. I just happened to glance at it.” He smiled. “Wonderful gameplay, by the way. Maybe when you're done here, you'd like to look over a few games for me.”

“W-why are you here?”

Pegasus looked at Yugi in surprise. Then, he smiled. “Is it so wrong to want to see how my protege is coming along?” He leaned back and sighed, then looked at Mai. “Why is he so rude today?”

Mai sneered at him.

Atem didn't like this at all. He pushed himself up and placed both hands on the table. “Well, you saw him. Now I think you should leave.”

“Oh? And what do you really know about this, Mr. Sennen?”

“I know enough. Leave.”

The entire pub was silent. All of the players watched tensely as Pegasus and Atem stared down one another. Then, the man smiled to himself and stood up. “It would seem you have another member on your protection squad, my boy. Maybe this one won't be as broken as the rest.” He said the words with a smile before he turned and walked out the door.

Mai let out a breath and shook her head. “Who let that slime-ball in here?”

Atem didn't have an answer to the question. He just stared at the door, jaw and fists clenched as if he were preparing for the man's return.

Meanwhile, whispers began to fill the room.

“That was the creator of Duel Monsters.”

“He said 'Yugi Mutou.' Did he mean _the_ 'Yugi Mutou?'”

“Isn't that the guy who completely embarrassed Kaiba? Boy, he's got some nerve speaking like that to someone so important.”

Mai sighed as she looked around the room. “Bunch of nosy bastards we have here.” She looked at Yugi. “You okay?”

Yugi snapped out of his trance and looked at Mai. It took a minute before he was able to force a smile in place. “Yeah. I'm fine.” He wasn't fine. Every time he thought he was in the clear and he would never have to worry about that man again.

So much for being optimistic.

He reached out and grabbed hold of Atem's cape. He got the other's attention with one gentle tug. They locked eyes and Yugi repeated himself. “I'm fine.”

Atem didn't say anything but he did sit back down. His eyes stayed locked onto Yugi's, asking the one question few ever did.

_Are you?_

No. He wasn't. But he wouldn't dare let them know. This wasn't their burden; he would keep it that way. His forced smile widened. “I should fill you in on the Masters.”

 

Pegasus wandered out of the city and took a few interested glances around the words. The world's details were pretty finely tuned which shouldn't surprise him. Yugi always did have an eye for detail, even if he would sometimes ignore the uglier details to focus on the good.

Although, he could really appreciate the sentiment. Their past was littered with some ugly moments and the sweet boy still decided to focus on the positive.

There was a ripple in the air as if the world around him was placed on a tarp. After a moment, something tore through and a tanned arm shot out from the rip.

He jumped, heart racing as he turned and looked at the other man. Then, he forced himself calm. “Making holes like that might break the world, you know.”

“Does it look like I give a flying fuck about this world?” He dragged Pegasus in through the tear. It partially sealed behind him. “Did you find him?”

“Atem Sennen? Yes. He's exactly as you described. Protective little bugger.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. What about the glitch?”

Pegasus looked at one of the monitors and noticed it was focused on the door to the pub. The screen would glitch out every so often. “Well, he's with Yugi Mutou but I don't know-”

“Shit.” He mumbled under his breath and turned away. “Alright, that's all I need from you. You can go.”

Pegasus stared at the other incredulously. Then, he let out a soft, humorless laugh. “You can't be serious. Just like that?”

“Yeah. Just like that. Marik will give you the payment when you wake up in the real world. Now kindly fuck off.”

But Pegasus wasn't satisfied. “What're you going to do?”

The other man turned and the older man's stomach turned to lead. For that moment, he feared for his life.

“Kindly. Fuck. Off.”

There was a snap of a bright light that even followed Pegasus into the real world. When he opened his eyes, he could only see a blob of another human being.

The human blob sighed. “You can't see me, can you?” He didn't wait for an answer. “Bakura! I'm not taking care of these people if you're just going to cripple them when they leave the game.”

Bakura's voice held the clear sound of a smirk. “He was asking too many questions.”

Marik rolled his eyes. “So he asked a question?”

“Besides, you better get used to it. At least one of these people is going to come out batshit crazy.”

“That's not fair to say, Love. You went _in_ batshit crazy.” Marik grinned.

“Funny. Now, find a way to clear up the Yugi Glitch. If I know Atem, he's not going to leave that little twerp's side for anything.”

Marik fell silent as he moved to a computer. He could feel a pang of anger inside him. Like a fire rising. He wanted to say something. To serve Bakura a reminder. Instead, he mumbled it too low for the other to hear. “Why not? He left _your_ side.”

“Did you say something?”

Marik blinked and faked a bit of confusion. “No?” He needed to keep this to himself. He needed to allow Bakura this chance without him making him even more bitter about this asshole.

As much as he wanted to face Atem himself, this was for the best.

“You know, it's not healthy to keep secrets from the ones you love.” Pegasus blinked rapidly as he said it, his eyes darting around the room as he tried to find a focus.

Marik stared at him flatly. “What do you know, Blind Man?” He didn't listen to anything else Pegasus had to say.

He had a glitch to worry about.

 

“Soooo, I got us rooms at the inn. Which will be one hundred times better than staying out in that dirty old forest.” Mai waved the key in front of her companions. “A room for me and a room for you two. You know, because a lady needs her privacy.” There was a knowing grin on her face.

Yugi knew exactly why.

Atem did not.

The two walked in silence as they separated from Mai and headed down the hall. Atem played with the key in his hand as he wondered about the room. He didn't doubt it would be any less comfortable than laying in the woods but he also didn't understand why they would have to rest here when there was still an entire city to explore.

He unlocked the door and looked into the room curiously. It was a simple place with a bedside table and a candle that somehow illuminated the entire room. There was a place to hand his weapons and his clothing.

And one large bed.

He glanced at Yugi as the other coughed awkwardly into his hand. “U-uh, I wasn't expecting a lot of situations like this where strangers are in the inn together unless they were planning to... uh.”

Atem felt like his face was on fire. “Oh.” he looked back at the bed and stepped into the room hesitantly. “It's okay. We can figure this out.” There was no other furniture or linens. Just the one bed.

But he did have the cape.

“I can take the floor and-”

“No.”

They looked at each other in surprise.

Yugi hesitantly continued. “Uh, you need your rest more than I do. So I can-”

“You'll need rest as well. I won't have you sleeping on the floor in the inn of your own game.”

Both of them stared at one another for a while. Neither knew exactly what to say or do but they both knew the only solution.

Yugi didn't look away from Atem. “It's... a big bed. We can share without a problem.”

Atem chewed on the inside of his cheek as he nodded. There was still enough room where there could be a space in between them. There wasn't any reason to be worried about it. It's not like it would mean anything.

Oh God, he was starting to understand why Mai did this.

With that settled, Yugi climbed into the bed while Atem took off the armor and weapons. He moved slowly, half stalling to try and steady his breathing and slow his heartbeat. This wasn't a big deal. He's slept in the same bed as plenty of people, both platonically and otherwise. This was just another one of those nights.

Nothing else. Nothing to worry about. It wouldn't matter that the other person in bed was Yugi fucking Mutou. Yugi 'the most adorable human being to ever grace his presence' Mutou. Yugi 'hot as fuck' Mutou.

It wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

He turned and his eyes locked onto Yugi's. They stared at one another for a while. Or possibly a second; time wasn't working well for Atem anymore.

“We should sleep.” Yugi's voice was barely above a whisper.

But it was enough to beckon Atem to the bed. He lifted the covers and climbed in, eyes moving from Yugi to instead focus on the ceiling.

The two of them laid there and stared up at the same ceiling. It took a while but eventually sleep found them both.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the whole 'one bed' thing is very cliche but I really couldn't resist!


	4. Chapter 4

Mai pulled herself out of bed with a loud yawn and a large stretch. Normally, she wouldn't be logged in for this long but she found herself invested in this at the moment. She wanted to watch and see how this newcomer would develop into the Mutou group.

And it was very interesting to see how he and their fearless leader reacted to one another.

She was happy to see this. Yugi always gave off the vibe of a pretty lonely guy, even when he was surrounded by his friends. They were all loving and supportive of one another, but they weren't able to give him one thing he was clearly missing.

And there was little doubt in her mind Atem was the right person to fill in that last blank spot.

Mai jumped out of bed and dressed before walking down the hall as quickly and as quietly as possible. She didn't want to wake the two. If she woke them it would give them both time to regain their composure from whatever happened the night before.

Which could be anything from one of them sleeping on the floor to full-blown sex. The latter of which she kind of doubted, but hey they could then thank her for getting them both laid.

It wasn't hard at all for her to break into the room. At her level, she had mastered pretty much everything the game had to offer. She could lock-pick her way into just about anything.

And she was very glad to have broken in rather than knocking. The sight that greeted her was worthy of a few pictures.

The two were still in bed and clothed but any boundaries established beforehand went out the window as soon as sleep took hold. Yugi had his face pressed into Atem's collarbone, his arms wrapped around the other's waist. Atem's arms were around Yugi's shoulders with one hand loosely holding the developer's head. His own face was partially buried in Yugi's hair. The sheets were push down around their hips where Mai could assume their legs were tangled in a similar fashion.

Mai motioned to her harpy as if she was taking a picture. The AI didn't need any more information than that. She moved in closer after several photos and blinked.

Wine eyes stared right back at her. She could practically hear Atem's thoughts. It was a lot of internal screaming.

Mai smiled at him. “Morning, Sunshine.”

Yugi shifted at the voice and nuzzled closer to Atem. His grip tightened and he mumbled incoherently into the other's neck.

Atem's eyes closed tightly and his face turned bright red. Still, he said nothing.

Mai was still grinning.

Mana made an appearance right above Atem's head. “...M-Master Mutou?”

Yugi mumbled again. Atem could feel his lips ghost across his skin. Every movement and puff of breath sent tingles down Atem's spine.

He couldn't take this much longer. “Yugi. We should... get up.”

That got his attention. At the sound of Atem's voice being so close, he connected it with the body he was hugging. His eyes snapped open and he saw skin.

He pulled himself away quickly and a string of apologies burst from his mouth. With each one, Atem would reply 'it's okay' or 'it's fine. Not to worry.' Neither of them looked at each other.

The harpy took one last picture. And Mai laughed. She rubbed the tears of mirth from her eyes before walking to the door. “I'll let you two get ready to go. No more cuddling now.” The door shut behind her.

Both of them looked anywhere but each other for a long time. Both of their heads were full of 'what did I do?' and 'Oh my GOD I screwed up.' When their eyes finally did lock, both looked away with flushed faces.

Atem cleared his throat and walked over to his gear. “Did ...you sleep well?” They needed to get this back to something normal.

Yugi nodded. “U-uh-huh. How about you?”

“Yes. Very well. Thank you.” He looked back at Yugi.

The other looked at him as well. He felt a warmth move through him. How was it possible for him to be so drawn to a person? It didn't make any sense.

But as they looked at one another, it was hard to deny.

Yugi swallowed thickly and stood up. He straightened out his clothing, wrinkled from the night's sleep. “We should... We should get going. If we keep a good pace, we can make it to the Master's before sundown.” He paused and added, “saying we don't get lost.”

Atem frowned. Why would they get lost?

They stepped out of the inn and found Mai leaning against the building with her arms crossed and a knowing smile on her face. “You two look well rested.”

Yugi just smiled back. “We are. Thank you!”

Atem eyed her suspiciously.

When Mai caught his look, she smirked and leaned in closer. “You're welcome.”

The three of them returned to their path through the forest and moved back to the fork in the road before midday.

When they got to the fork and started heading down the path, Mai's AI tapped her on the shoulder. She frowned at her. “What's up?”

The harpy brought up a screen. From their angle, Atem and Yugi couldn't see what was being played but Mai's look went from questioning to exasperation in seconds. She groaned and rolled her eyes. “God, why can't that man take a hint?!”

Yugi frowned. “Still having problems?”

“Not 'problems,' per say. Most like 'annoyances.'” She put her hands on her hips and looked at the screen again. “Either way, I have to go take care of him. I shouldn't be too long. I can meet you guys on the other side of the caverns.”

Atem blinked. “'Caverns?'”

Yugi didn't respond to Atem right away. Instead, he focused on Mai. “Well, hope this time is easier than the last.”

“Me too.” Her expression then changed into a smile and a wave. “Good luck to the two of you! It should be fun for you guys to be alone in such a dark and intimate place!” With that, she faded out of the world.

Yugi gave her a dry look and waved back as she logged off.

“'Dark?'”

He turned to Atem. His eyes were wide and it occurred to Yugi that Atem was somewhere very far away. He waved his hand in front of the other's eyes. “Are you okay?”

Atem blinked and returned to the present. He looked down at Yugi with a guarded expression before forcing on a soft smile and nodding. “Yes, I'm fine.”

Yugi clearly didn't believe him but wouldn't press the issue. Instead, he nodded. “Good. We should get going.” They headed down the path that lead to the caverns.

 

When Atem was little, he was convinced anything could get lost in the dark. This thought came to be when he lost a stuffed panda he dubbed 'Sharik' in the dark 'punishment' room. He could lose his possessions when he lost his sight so it didn't feel like it was that big of a stretch to say he would lose other things too. Like feelings. Or family members.

Or memories.

He was put in the dark whenever he was in trouble. He was in trouble a lot.

When he was being punished, he would start by screaming. He would cry out for his father to save him, he would scream apologies to his mother. He would shriek wordless sobs of fear. He didn't want to lose himself. He didn't want to forget.

But he wasn't always alone. On most days, he was in there before Atem. Sometimes, they were put in together. Still, it was always a surprise to hear him speak up.

“Stop screaming. It'll make things worse.”

“K-Kura.” He let out a soft hiccup at the other voice. So calm and comforting. But he couldn't see his face. Still, he knew who was speaking. “W-what if sh-she forgets us?”

“Pfft. Don't be stupid. Your dad'll find us later.”

Atem sat on the floor.

The other spoke again with a sigh. “You still think you can lose your mind here, don't you?”

He didn't have to reply. Kura already knew the answer.

He could practically hear the other boy rolling his eyes. “Listen. Close your eyes and repeat the names of everyone you don't want to forget. You can't forget them that way, right?”

“...I guess.”

“Good. Now go.”

Atem closed his eyes just as the other boy instructed. Then, he started listing. It was a short list he repeated over and over again. “Alab. Mama. Kura. Mana. Mahad.”

It was a list that continued to be repeated every time darkness consumed Atem. It would change and evolve throughout his life with names added and removed, but the idea of the list still remained.

The memory seemed most fitting as Atem stood, frozen, in front of the biggest and darkest hole he had ever seen. He wanted to say his phobia was a long since conquered demon and this place didn't look like an early gravesite to him.

He'd be lying.

Mana looked at Atem with a frown. “I'm not going to be able to help you inside the caverns. I'm sorry, but you're on your own.” She faded from view.

He didn't respond to her.

Yugi stared at Atem, worried. He just stood there for nearly a full minute. His eyes were wide and his skin went pale.

“Atem?” Yugi carefully placed a hand on the other's arm. “Are you okay?”

Atem finally snapped out of the trance and looked at Yugi. He swallowed thickly and nodded. “Y-yes. I'm fine.”

Yugi frowned. “We don't have to go through there. We could go another route. Maybe get to another backdoor in another area?”

The beta tester thought about it for a minute. That would mean risking something going wrong if Yugi got hit with something. And, considering what happened in the pub probably spread, some of the testers might be around to try and challenge the developer in his own game.

This was the quickest way. And the safest.

But Atem's feet stayed firmly planted. He could still feel his mother's arm dragging him closer to the dark. “This is the only route. No question.”

Yugi stared at him for a moment. Then he put out a hand. “Here.”

Atem looked down at it.

Yugi smiled softly. “I won't let anything bad happen to you.”

His heart skipped a beat as he looked up at Yugi. Slowly, he placed his own hand in the other's and smiled back.

They took a step forward.

 

“Yeah, I heard Pegasus was in Doe-Min and some guy named like Adam or something was with Yugi Mutou.”

“I heard that Adam guy tried to _fight_ Pegasus.”

“They got to see Mr. Mutou?! Oh, I've always wanted to know what he looked like. Probably some pale, ghostly shut-in with no social skills.”

“Hey. Watch your mouth. He's the guy who _created_ all this. He could be recording you.”

When she heard the rumors, she was confused. It wasn't like Yugi to simply go to Doe-Min without checking in first. He said he would be there as soon as he was out of the code.

By the game's count? Days have passed.

Something was wrong. And she voiced her concerns to her companions when she returned to the camp.

They stood around silently for a while. All of them knew it as well; she didn't need to tell them why this was strange.

Honda was the first to speak up. “Maybe Kaiba found something in Doe-Min that needed their attention right away.”

The blond shook his head. “Yeah, but I don't think Kaiba knows anyone named 'Adam.'”

“And it's still concerning that they mentioned Pegasus.” Ryo glanced between the three. “Who gave him access?”

“He probably was trying some sort of power play with them.”

She frowned. “I'm worried.”

“No reason to worry yet. We gotta trust that Yugi's okay. Pegasus can't do anything to him in here. And if it's true and this Adam guy tried to throw down? Then he's alright in my book.”

She crossed her arms and looked unsure. “Still...”

“Hey.” Honda put a hand on her shoulder. “It's alright, Anzu. You know Yugi'll find his way here and he'll tell us the whole thing.”

Anzu sucked in a breath in an attempt to calm herself. She then nodded and looked out into the forest. Maybe they were right. It could've been all for a reason and there was nothing to worry about.

But that nagging feeling of something wrong refused to go away.

 

The grip on his hand was tight and unmoving. The only dull light in the caverns came from some glowing moss to help direct those who couldn't see in the right direction. It was almost like a code to decipher in order to pass through the caverns. Get the code wrong and people could be wandering around the caverns forever.

As the creator, Yugi knew the way without needing to look at the moss. And he wasn't going to stop moving until they saw the light of day.

Because the only sound aside from the echoing of dripping water came from Atem. He was whispering names in a voice clearly meant to calm himself.

Every once in a while, Yugi heard his own name. And then, the name 'Kura' again.

He didn't question it. This was something he couldn't even begin to understand. But he felt a large wave of concern for his companion. This was not a normal fear. There was something much worse at play. And Yugi could only wish he could make this fear go away if only to help ease Atem.

Instead, he could only do so much. So he held the other's hand and listened to his mantra.

Then Yugi misstepped on a stone. He pulled from Atem's grip in an attempt to catch himself against the rough ground of the caverns.

“Yugi??”

The voice held thinly-veiled panic. Atem was trying his best to stay calm but the face he couldn't see was not sitting well with him. And now, he was alone. He couldn't tell where Yugi went and he could only assume he fell away.

Atem pulled out his sword and gripped it tightly. “Yugi! Are you alright?!”

“Yeah. Everything's fine, Atem. Just... deep breaths, okay?” Yugi pushed himself to his feet. He blinked a couple of times and hoped for some better night vision, but it was no use. He couldn't see the other. He couldn't even tell if he was reaching in the right direction.

Atem sucked in a deep breath and gripped the blade in both hands. “I don't like this.” He mumbled it more to himself than anything.

Still, Yugi responded. “I know... I'm sorry; I should've looked for another route.” His hand found a wall.

“Don't blame yourself.” He shook slightly. “I allowed this. I'm at fault.” His voice was soft and monotoned. As if he were parroting a phrase told to him.

Yugi felt his stomach lurch at the tone. “Let's... Let's just consider this a no-fault problem.” He felt the wall and tried to get his barrings. “How about you tell me something.”

“...Like what?”

Yugi shrugged. “I don't know. Anything that's on your mind right now.” Anything to keep Atem talking and easier to find.

For a moment, Atem didn't say anything. Then, he sucked in a shaky breath. “I used to be a lot worse when if came to my fear of the dark.” He swallowed and gripped the sword tightly. “I had a.... family member who helped a little.”

Yugi had to ask. “Is that 'Kura?'”

“...What?”

“You were repeating his name. And you said it in your sleep the other night.”

“O-oh. Yeah. My mother adopted him after his family died in... some kind of house fire. I was very young when it happened so... he was just always there.”

“It sounds like you two were close.”

Atem let out a breathy laugh. He could feel himself lighten just slightly. He welcomed the distraction from this fear. “We fought quite a bit. But there were times where we were almost like brothers.”

“Where is he now?”

“I... haven't seen him since I left Egypt.” The good feeling brought on by the small laugh was gone as guilt moved in to take its place. “He was in Mother's care and he had to stay behind.” Atem frowned. “I do wonder about him a lot... but I can never bring myself to find a way to contact him.” The sword lowered slowly and a light illuminated from the eye.

Yugi turned as it caught his eye. “There you are.” He moved a little closer. “Atem, don't be startled, okay?” His hand found the other's shoulder. He tensed when Atem flinched and quickly spoke up. “It's me. It's just me.”

Atem relaxed under his hands. He felt the other's own hand move to grip his again. It was like a vice for a second before Atem seemed to remember himself and loosen the grip just a fraction.

Yugi gave the hand a reassuring squeeze. “It's not much further now. Don't worry.”

He couldn't see it but he could almost feel Atem nod. They walked for a moment in silence and, this time, Yugi was careful to keep from falling away from the other.

There was a breath of relief from both parties as light came into view. And, as they stepped into the light, Yugi dared a glance at Atem.

The tester still hadn't let go of his hand. His eyes looked a little swollen as the light finally hit them. There was a look of relief in his eyes and a small smile on his face. Yugi could see the tension in his stance, as if Atem was about to rush towards the light but thought better of it.

The sight of his relief spurred on Yugi's own.

They kept a steady walking pace as they left the caverns. Neither of them looked back or even said a word about what happened in the dark. It was past them now. They wouldn't have to go back.

At least, Atem prayed they wouldn't have to go back.

The two of them stole glances at one another as they kept walking. Yugi didn't want to make the situation worse by asking about what happened so he decided to leave it all alone for the time being. If Atem ever cared to tell him, he would happily listen. But he wouldn't pry.

“Oh good! You guys didn't get too fa-” Mai paused her run as she saw them closer. “Are you two holding hands?”

Both of them blinked and looked down at their, indeed, still interlocked hands.

Yugi smiled nervously up at Mai. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

Atem continued to stare down at their hands for a moment. He felt comfort in the grip and, as they reluctantly let go of one another, he rubbed his fingers together idly. He could feel cool air brush over the newly exposed skin. He was already missing the contact.

“Atem? You okay?”

He looked back up at Yugi and saw the concern still in his eyes. He smiled in return. “Yes, I'm fine. Let's go.”

 

They walked through the forest. The path that used to be so clear and prominent faded and disappeared, leaving the three to simply walk through the wooded trail. From what Atem could see there was no room to stop and no place to rest. The forest was much too thick. If someone were to come down here and want to camp out before heading into the Master's camp, they would be out of luck. There was no place for a fire, much less a tent or a cot.

Although, it was possible they could relax in the trees.

His head snapped up when he heard a tree branch shake above him. It was too heavy of a sound to be some kind of squirrel or bird.

He readied his sword and paused.

Mai tensed as well. “Okay, so I'm not the only one that heard that.”

Yugi's eyes darted from tree to tree. “No.”

The three of them stood in tense silence. The sound returned, this time high above them in a place Atem didn't know could be reached. He tried to move closer to Yugi.

Then something thin wrapped around his ankle and he was yanked off the ground with a yelp. His sword slipped out of his hand and clattered to the ground.

“At-” Mai brought out her own sword and moved to get closer to the tester.

Atem saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Before he could even shout out in warning, the opponent tackled Mai and slammed her hard into the ground.

A small blade stopped hairs away from Mai's eyes. Large blue eyes blinked as the woman straddling Mai relaxed. “Oh, hi.”

Mai's face heated up but she tried to hide it with a smile. “It's nice to see you again.”

“Anzu!”

The newcomer snapped her head around and smiled. “Yugi!” She hopped off the other woman and smiled. “Where have you been?! Everyone's been saying you were in Doe-Min. Are you okay?”

He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. “Y-yeah, I'm fine. There was just a little snag in the game. I ended up, uh, out.”

“You don't have any weapons or anything. How did you get this far?”

“I had some help.” Yugi blushed lightly.

“Help? From Mai?” Anzu looked over as the blonde stood up.

But Mai shook her head. “I found him later. Our real hero stepped into one of your traps.” She pointed up.

Anzu followed the finger to the person still hanging in the trees.

Atem took that moment to actually speak up but all he could manage was “Yo.” He could feel all the blood pooling in the top of his skull.

“Oh my God, I'm sorry! Hold on.” She ran over to the rope holding Atem. “Watch your head, okay?” She sliced through the rope.

And Atem fell and hit the ground with a hard 'thump!' He let out a pained cough.

Yugi winced as his guard collided with the ground.

Anzu shared in the wince. “You... didn't watch your head.”

“I think... I landed on my sword...” He opened one eye as he looked up at the newcomer. Then, everything connected at once. “You're one of the Masters.”

Anzu smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am.” She knelt down and put out a hand for Atem. “I'm Anzu Mazaki.”

He pulled himself into a sitting position and shook off the dizziness. Then, he smiled and took Anzu's hand. “Atem Sennen.”

“Ah, A- _tem.”_ Anzu nodded and helped him up to his feet. “It's nice to meet you, Atem. I've heard about you around the kingdom.”

Yugi blinked. “Huh?”

“Someone in Taka-Hash Village was talking about this 'Adam guy' who fought with Pegasus.” She stood up and placed her hands on her hips as she turned to Yugi. “I guess word spreads fast.”

Yugi cleared his throat and looked down. “So you heard about Pegasus.” And if Anzu knew there was no doubt everyone else knew as well.

“Yeah... I thought Kaiba banned him from any involvement in video game testing unless it was directly involved in Duel Monsters.”

He shook his head with a sigh. “It doesn't matter. He's not here now.” Yugi looked away and into the woods.

Atem could still see the little dot. He was looking in the direction of the camp.

“Let's just get going. We can talk about it later.”

“Right.” Anzu turned to Mai. “Will you be coming?”

The blonde looked at her as a soft smile came over her features. “Absolutely.”

Anzu smiled back and nodded. “Good.”

The smile stayed on Mai's face as Anzu turned away and returned her attention to Yugi. For a moment, she just watched Anzu.

Then she felt the eyes on her and turned.

Atem was smirking at her, one eyebrow raised as he stared knowingly.

“Don't you start.”

“Don't start what, Mai? I'm confused.” He followed after Anzu and Yugi.

“Okay, look.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him from walking on. “I shouldn't have forced you two to have that room at the inn. It wasn't fair to push it.”

“You don't believe that.”

“No, but if paying you lip service will keep you from saying something stupid to Anzu then I can pretend I do.”

Atem's smirk was back. “So, you really have it bad.”

“Pot. Kettle. Black.”

The smirk faded.

“How about we do it this way, Honey.” She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. “If you keep your mouth shut, I'll do the same.”

“Hey!”

Both of them looked over at Yugi. “You guys coming?”

Atem sighed and glanced back at Mai. “Fine. Deal.”

Mai smiled and walked around him. “You know, I'm kinda disappointed. Yugi really seems to like you and I kinda wanted to tell him you thought the same thing.”

Atem blinked and followed after her with his eyes. He watched in a daze for a moment before he trotted up to her. “What? Really?”

Mai smiled to herself. She could still push them together.

 

It felt like forever since he spoke to Yugi. The nitpicking idiot would spend forever back there rather than being out in the world he helped create. Where he could actually play the game. Where he could possibly be challenged to a battle.

What made it worse was he somehow managed to lock Kaiba out of the backdoor. After the call about the strange glitch, the CEO hadn't been able to communicate with Yugi. All that came up was a blank screen.

Something was wrong. Whether it was because of that weird glitch or something else, Kaiba couldn't tell. But he wasn't about to take this sitting down. He wouldn't let Yugi ignore him and lock him out of the game; not when he had such easy access himself.

“Mokuba, keep an eye on the screens here. Let me know if anything changes.”

The younger Kaiba looked up from his own screen and smiled. “Say hi to Jou for me.”

Kaiba didn't make a comment, he simply walked out of the room and down the hall to the large pod. The equipment for the game wasn't perfected yet so it was best to use the pods from another one of the older VR games to make sure The Kingdom was up and running as best it could. He laid back in the chair and turned it on.

Seconds later, he awoke in the game with a pair of bright blue eyes staring into his. “Welcome back, Seto.”

He blinked and looked around as he sat up. He was laying out in the middle of nowhere. His body almost immediately sunk into the snow and caused him to be surrounded by the freezing cold.

He jumped to his feet and shook the snow and ice from his armor. “Kisara, where are we?”

The AI, a pale girl with white dragon wings and a tail, frowned at Kaiba as she looked around. “We're at the very top of Mount Zereort.”

“This wasn't where we were when I left.”

Kisara shook her head and looked equally confused. “No, we should have spawned in the Masters' Camp, Jounouchi's-”

“Yes, I know.” A freezing gust of wind blew past. Kaiba wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep out the cold. “Where's Yugi? Is he in the game?”

“Not that I can see. But the back door is only a few paces from here.”

Kaiba grimaced. “He locked me out in reality so the main door would be locked as well.” As the wind stopped, he looked back at Kisara. “He wouldn't lock the door by the Masters though. Just in case one of them needed to contact him.”

Kisara nodded. “We should head down the mountain. It's too cold here for my wings to carry you that far.”

“We can fix that later. You shouldn't freeze up like this.” He started to walk.

The AI gave him a small smile. “I can't be perfect, Seto. I have to have some weakness.”

“Nonsense.”

 

Marik searched the system. Everything about the code was pretty basic. It was simply a standard MMO with a few different twists and turns within it.

But then he started to dig a little deeper and found a very different file.

Nowhere in the game was there desert. It was clear from the moment it was turned on it was more of a forest-type place with snowcapped mountains and maybe a simple beach or two. Nothing that required a feature such as pyramids and sphinxes.

But digging through, that is what Marik found.

Just below the layer of The Kingdom was something straight out of an Ancient Egyptian story. He found the settings coded in along with a few NPC designs and write-ups of different adventures and quests. It was incomplete when it came to a full game but it was only a few lines of code away from being attached to The Kingdom.

Marik smirked. “Hey, Bakura. I'm going to show you a couple of files. Tell me if you think they'd be any use.” He pushed a copy of the concepts into a folder where his companion could reach them.

For a moment, there was silence. He wished he could see Bakura studying the artwork and designs. Especially when it came to the concept design for the Pharaoh.

Then, he heard a laugh. “I love your brain.”

“I'm guessing you could think of a way to use this?” Marik softly laughed as well.

“Oh yeah. Definitely.” Bakura's eyes landed on the screen with the Masters. He smiled as his eyes fell on the mage in their group. “But first, I think I want to try a little something else.” He could see the screen beginning to glitch and he knew that meant Yugi Mutou was nearby.

No doubt Atem was in tow.

It would be nice to see him in person. Or, at least, as close to 'in person' Bakura was willing to get. For now.

With a quick typing and some slight movement of files, Bakura found himself pulled into the game. But not as himself.

Ryo let out a soft gasp before he could no longer speak.

Honda turned and looked at the mage in concern. “You okay? Need a break from the game?”

Bakura paused for a moment. He could hear Ryo try to respond but, from the face of the other master, it fell on deaf ears.

So he smiled. “No. I'm fine.”

_What's going on?! Who is this?!_

Bakura smirked as Honda turned away. _Sorry, little Ryo. But I'm going to borrow this for a bit._

 

Atem nearly tripped over several other traps on the way through the forest. It was after the third rope, he started following Anzu's steps and watched where she walked to keep from doing it again.

He could see her watching him and smiling at his movements. She then turned back and nudged Yugi with her shoulder. He could see her whisper something to him that made the developer laugh sheepishly and glance back as well.

Atem smiled at him.

As Yugi smiled back, the beta tester could've sworn he saw a slight dusting of red on the other's face. Anzu grinned and chuckled at her friend as he rubbed the back of his head. It made Atem's own smile spread.

“Hey!”

Atem jumped when Mana cried out right near his ear. She planted one hand on his shoulder and pointed with the other.

“I see smoke!”

They all looked up to see the black wisps work their way into the sky. Atem blinked as he followed them, not seeing the looks of exasperation coming from his three companions.

Mai sighed softly. “You _did_ leave them alone, Anzu.”

Anzu shot the blonde a look. “I didn't think he would try and burn down the camp!”

Yugi looked at them. “It might not be him, it could just be something burning on the fire.”

As if on cue, there was the sound of something exploding.

Yugi didn't look away. He just shut his eyes and let out a soft curse under his breath.

Both of them ran passed Yugi and right for the camp.

Atem simply walked a little closer to the other man. “Is there an issue?”

“Not yet. But if something happened to Anzu or Mai's equipment, we might need to save someone's life.” In one fluid motion, Yugi grabbed hold of Atem's hand. “We should go and stop the murder.”

The 'murder' became something very unimportant to Atem. He just looked at Yugi as the other led him through the remainder of the forest and out into an opening. He could hear shouting.

“-know it was flammable!”

“How could you not know?! It's a bomb!”

“'Ey! It's an ice bomb! Let's be real, throwing it in a fire shoulda negated its effects.”

“Should've- are you even listening to yourself?!”

Atem looked up at the small group. Anzu and Mai were over by a large fire pit with another man in thick, red armor. His face was covered in soot, the tips of his blond hair looked as though it were at one point on fire.

The two others stood off to the side and just watched the fight. One was a taller man with a sleeveless shirt that showed off muscles and some kind of large gun hanging off his hip. The man next to him was shorter by a few centimeters in white robes so close to his skin and hair color, he nearly looked like a ghost. Both of them shared an expression of judgment for the blond.

The one in the robes turned as Yugi and Atem walked out from the forest. “Ah! There you are!”

Yugi smiled at them. “I'm guessing Jounouchi tried to blow up the camp?”

The blond- Jounouchi, Atem guessed- pointed at the brunet gunman. “He started it with his new idea for a weapon!”

The brunet immediately jumped to the defensive. “I'm not the one who threw it in the fire to see what would happen!”

Anzu glared at Jounouchi. “You're lucky it didn't set the entire forest on fire!”

“I'm telling ya; Honda started it! Ryo, back me up here.”

The mage dubbed Ryo shook his head. “Sorry, Jou. You won't find an ally here.”

Honda continued to glare at Jou. “Because you tried to blow him up!”

“Hey! None of this was intentional.”

Yugi cleared his throat and spoke up. “Well, it would seem everyone's safe so how about we just forget it happened and not let Jou near anything that explodes.”

Everyone looked at Yugi and, from the moment he spoke, the tension dissolved.

Honda nodded. “Yeah, you're right. We have more important things to worry about.”

“Yeah! Like, Yugi,” Jou gestured to the developer, “what's going on here?!”

“I hit a little snag.” He looked off to the side when he felt Atem lightly squeeze his hand. “Oh! Guys, this is Atem!”

“The guy that put Pegasus in his place?” Jou trotted over to Atem and tilted his head. “Thought you'd be taller.”

Anzu glared at the other Master. “Jou, don't be rude!”

Atem raised an eyebrow. “Sorry to disappoint you?”

The blond just grinned. “Nah, no disappointment here.” He immediately wrapped an arm around Atem's shoulders. “Anyone who was willing to throw down with Pegasus deserves to be here.”

“I don't know if 'throw down' is the best descriptor.” Atem's hand slipped away from Yugi's as Jou pulled him closer. He glanced over at the other.

Yugi just smiled reassuringly and followed after the two.

Honda crossed his arms and smirked at Atem. “Even if you don't, you helped Yugi get here. That counts for something.” He put out a hand. “I'm Honda Hiroto.”

Atem took the hand in his own and smiled. “Atem Sennen. It's nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Honda blinked when he noticed the little face peeking out from Atem's shoulder. “Huh, Magician Girl.”

Everyone but Atem and Ryo looked at Yugi. The developer's face turned deep red as he looked away wordlessly.

Mana huffed and pushed herself up into view. “I'm Mana!”

Honda smiled. “Okay. Hi, Mana.”

Ryo stepped closer and looked at the AI. “That's an interesting name for a magician.”

“It's the name Atem gave me!”

Ryo smiled but then pulled back and looked at the beta tester. “A kind player, then.”

Yugi nodded and gave Atem a side-eyed glance. “Very kind.”

Atem smiled and looked down at the ground. “I'm just glad I could help.”

For a moment, everyone just took in the scene. The way a soft blush lingered on Atem. The way Yugi's lips softly curled as his eyes took in the sight. The way the two of them didn't seem to notice how close they were to touching.

The moment was broken by Jounouchi. He coughed into his hand. “That's cool and all, but we do have a rule here.”

“A rule you made up.” Honda looked at his friend flatly.

“Still, a rule.” Jou put his hands on his hips and grinned. “Any beta testers who walk in here have to test their might on the best of the best!”

Mai crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “And when did this policy come into play?”

“He decided it a few days ago when some guy wandered in here, looking for a fight.” Anzu sighed out the explanation.

Yugi laughed softly and turned to Atem. He wanted to tell him there was no real pressure to accept this fight. But when he turned, Atem was smiling at Jounouchi. It was a smile Yugi hadn't seen before. He imagined it was the same smile he gave Kaiba when he won whatever games they played. It was confident, maybe even a little arrogant.

“I accept this challenge.”

Yugi felt like his body was on fire. The heat moved and pooled in his stomach.

Jounouchi didn't seem to notice his best friend's dilemma. He just laughed. “Cool! Now let's get to it!” He gestured for Atem to follow.

And the beta tester did exactly that, leaving behind a developer who looked at him like a starved man.

“So, that's what does it for you?”

Yugi tensed. He turned and looked at Ryo. The other had spoken so softly and low, he didn't catch what was said. He blinked. “What?”

Ryo smiled. “Oh, nothing. Just mumbling to myself.” The mage followed Atem and Jou with his eyes. “What do you think his chances are against Jounouchi?”

Yugi gave him a shrug. “I'm kind of hoping Jou doesn't kill him.”

“Yeah, that would be a shame...”

Honda moved over to them and crossed his arms. “He might come close, but I don't think he'll get that far. Jou's got pretty good control from picking so many fights.”

“Still, I want to watch.” Yugi trotted after the two.

And Honda smirked softly. “Yeah, kinda figured.”

Everyone followed as well until they were in a small clearing with a large crater off to one side. Mai and Anzu stood off to one side, both interested to see how this would play out.

“Don't think just because you're the new guy I'm gonna go easy on ya.” Jounouchi pulled his sword from his side and swung it casually.

Atem's hand tapped against his own weapon. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

This was the right answer if the blond's reaction was any indication. He laughed. “Then let's get to it!” He charged at Atem.

The smaller player was just barely able to dodge. He knew if he was hit once, it would probably mean game over. His only hope of winning against one of the Masters was to keep dodging and blocking, then attack quickly to get their health down little by little.

He pulled out his sword and sliced at Jounouchi's side. The sword clanged against the armor and sparked. The damage was even less than Atem had anticipated.

Jounouchi moved into attack again and this time Atem rolled out of the way. He bounced off the ground as soon as his feet landed and he swiped again at the blond's middle.

It was no good, the armor was going to keep him from doing any meaningful damage.

A small dragon girl popped up near Jounouchi's head. Her red eyes stayed focused on Atem as she said something to her player.

Mana's eyes widened. “Ooooh, I don't like this.”

Jou looked at his guide and grinned with a nod. He then snapped around and sprinted at his opponent.

Atem's eyes shot open wide. He brought his sword up just in time to block Jounouchi's. It was a struggle to keep the long claymore away from his head. If it wasn't for the hook shape, his own weapon would have most likely let it slip. He tried to push back, but it was doing him little good under the blond's strength.

Jounouchi smiled at him. “Not bad, man. I almost feel bad for winning like this.”

Atem gritted his teeth. “You haven't won yet.”

“True, but you really got nothing else going. I mean-” Jounouchi let out a gasp as his legs were knocked out from under him and he stumbled to the ground.

Atem used the opportunity to move out of the way and bounced up to his feet next to the blond's fallen form. His leg hurt from landing the kick so hard but it was worth it to get out from that corner.

Jounouchi shot a look at Atem and fire blazed in his eyes. “Oh, you are goin' down!” He jumped up and charged again.

Meanwhile, Anzu moved closer to Yugi. She had watched the developer wince and tense up with every fall to the newcomer, then do his best to hide his smile when he got around one of Jounouchi's attacks.

She folded her arms behind her back and leaned down near his ear. “He's really something else.”

Yugi jumped and turned. He hadn't realized Anzu was so close. “Y-yeah, he is.”

“He'll make a good member of the team. We're missing a dark mage, after all.” She smiled. “And it'll be interesting to see his reaction to your guide.”

Yugi's blush returned. “He... doesn't know about that mechanic.”

She looked at him as the smile slowly faded. Then she shrugged. “It's not like he has to. I mean, it's not an exact science anyway. Look at Ryo and Honda. Besides,” she nudged him, “he already looks at you like his mind is made up.”

He turned to her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“She means 'you better make your move before you go.'” Mai stood on his other side with a hand on her hips. “There's only so much more I can take of this.” She gestured to her harpy.

The harpy then pulled up one of the pictures of Atem and Yugi in the Inn.

Yugi's mouth opened and closed, completely blank on what to say.

Anzu didn't share that sentiment. “Awww. Hey, can you send me that?”

“Of course!” She nodded to her harpy.

A little redheaded elf girl popped up onto Anzu's shoulder. “You got a photo from Ms. Mai!” She immediately brought up the picture. It floated next to the harpy's copy.

Yugi buried his red face in his hands.

Mai laughed softly as her copy disappeared and she placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. “But seriously, make your move before Kaiba can come and try to stop you.”

Everyone looked back at the fight as Jounouchi let out a loud curse.

The blond held his arm. Dark smoke came from a wound that managed to cut through the armor. “The fuck?! that hurts!”

“Well, it _is_ a poison,” Atem said smoothly.

Jounouchi growled. “Don't get cute, new guy!” He rushed in again.

Atem went to dodge again. Now, he just needed to wait it out and Jounouchi would eventually be-!

He was yanked back by the cape attached to his shoulder. As he fell to the ground, a boot slammed into his chest and knocked the wind out of him and taking a large chunk out of his health. The sound of the blond's sword came back and the point of the blade nicked his chin. It bled a little more than it should and cut his health down even more. In the corner of his eye, he could see the bar, red and blinking in warning.

“I win.” Jounouchi grinned at him. “I don't wanna kill you, though. You'd have to get kicked out of here.” Slowly, the boot was removed from Atem's torso.

The newbie sucked in a breath and let his head fall to the ground. He panted, relieved that he wouldn't be dying here. He didn't want to find this place on his own. Especially if it meant going through the caverns again.

Jounouchi knelt down and offered a hand to Atem. “Just so you know; I approve.”

The statement was met with a confused frown as Atem took the offered hand. “Thank you.”

Jounouchi slapped a hand on Atem's back and turned to the group. “He can stay!”

“Because all he needed was your approval,” Honda stated dryly.

“Damn right!” Jounouchi slammed his fists into his hips and looked at Ryo. “Feel up to doing a little bit of healing for our new buddy?”

The mage nodded and walked up to Atem. “Follow me.”

Atem followed without question.

As soon as the beta tester was out of sight, Jounouchi's brazen attitude fell. He slumped over and held his poisoned arm. “Holy shit, guys.”

Honda caught him before he could fall over. “So, a greenhorn gave you a run for your money?”

“Shaddup.” He looked at Yugi. “Where did you find that guy?!”

Yugi shrugged. “I kind of just fell into his lap.”

 

He could just end it now. He was so close to him and the strength difference was extremely vast. A small poke of the staff and he would be back at Doe-Min where he would be forced to either return here or be left alone and open.

But then he would have to find him again. Did he really want to go through all that trouble when he was sitting right here?

_Is this the reason why you're here? Because of him?_

Bakura didn't like that he could still hear the player who actually owned this avatar. Especially being that Ryo didn't seem all that bothered by being in his current position.

_Yes._

Bakura brought his arms up and began to dispense healing magic over Atem. The other player let out a soft sigh, shoulders immediately relaxed as his eyes slipped closed.

Ryo just watched silently for a moment as Bakura fought the urge to even so much as glare at Atem. _He seems.... innocent enough._

Bakura's eyes narrowed. _You don't know him like I do._ _Be a good host and shut your mouth._

There was a soft snort. _I'm going to ignore that statement and say my piece._ _Maybe there's a better way for you to work this out._

Bakura didn't respond. He just watched Atem and thought about the last time he was this close. Mother had been angry with something Bakura did. Atem and Father had come home early from some tournament. They walked in just in time to see her threatening the boy. But rather than stand by like the 'good silent prince he is,' he defended Bakura.

She dislocated his shoulder for it.

Moments later, Father was gripping Atem and screaming at her. He dragged his son out of there and Bakura's eyes locked with Atem's as they left forever.

Left him alone with her.

_Um..._

Bakura sighed inwardly. _Don't tell me. You can see my thoughts._

_Like projections. Yugi really went all out with this game._

His eyes closed. _You are not to say another word to me about this. Got it?_

“Ryo?”

Bakura blinked and looked up.

Atem was staring at him. His eyes were the same as they were back then. How dare he have the ability to keep himself so right when his mother tortured the boy they left behind!

He pulled back and placed his hands on his knees. “Sorry. I occasionally go overboard with my magic.”

Atem blinked a few times. “Oh. That's fine. But you seemed upset about something.”

He didn't respond. He just looked down at his hands. The hands that slammed a man's head into the ground so hard it created a crater.

He had an idea.

Bakura smiled at Atem. “How about you and me go a round?”

Atem's eyes widened a little. “Are... you sure?”

He nodded. “I want to see how much you can do.”

Atem stared and, for a moment, Bakura thought he would deny him. But then, he smiled softly and nodded.

Bakura smiled back.

 

“So, you were just... launched out?” Jou pulled the potion away from his mouth.

Yugi nodded. “I don't know what went wrong. I was talking to Kaiba and then something started to beep. The next thing I knew, I was in the air then I was on top of Atem.”

Honda plopped down next to Yugi and smiled. “Sounds like something wanted you two to meet.”

Yugi shrugged and stared down at the ground. The blush was starting to take over his features once again. "Yeah, I guess it would seem that way." He couldn't be sure why it was the game seemed to want him where he ended up but what would have happened to him if it wasn't Atem who found him? What if he fell into another beta tester? What if he just hit the ground and ended up completely alone?

He didn't know if he really wanted to think about it. He was just glad he ended up where he ended up. Meeting Atem was the best thing that could have happened given the situation. Although he knew the other beta testers were probably just as kind, Yugi couldn't be sure it would be the same.

His eyes darted over to the fighting area as Ryo led Atem back. The two of them looked like they were ready to get into another fight.

Strange. Did Atem challenge him as well? Yugi couldn't be sure. Ryo usually wasn't one to instigate a fight.

They all stepped over to the field and watched. Ryo looked as though he was really looking forward to this. He crouched low, his hand gripped his staff tightly. "Whenever you're ready."

Atem looked a little less enthusiastic about the fight but still gripped the sword on his hip. He rushed forward and just barely dodged a small glow from Ryo's hand. His sword hit against a shield placed around the mage.

Ryo fought the urge to smirk.

Honda crossed his arms. "Let's hope Ryo doesn't accidentally kill him. This wasn't a smart battle to start."

Yugi frowned. "I would've thought Atem would take a break after Jou."

"Maybe he still had a little steam," Honda said the words but Yugi could tell by the tone he used he was seeing the same thing as the developer.

Something wasn't right.

The battle continued on. For a while, Atem only dodged and swung his sword to watch it bounce off the shield. It repeated, over and over again. Then, he moved to dodge a glowing bullet as it grazed his arm and sizzled against his skin.

"Atem!" Mana frowned at him. "Use your own magic. If the blade can't connect with your opponent, it can't release the poison."

Atem nodded as he dodged another projectile. He needed to get closer.

Ryo saw him charge in and laughed. "You really think your sword is going to get through this time?"

Atem slammed the sword against the shield and forced it to make a soft glow. Then, he pressed his hand against the surface and released the dark magic.

Ryo's bubble shattered like glass and forced the mage back.

"Now! He's weakened!"

Atem charged in again.

Ryo shot a bunch of projectiles that flew passed Atem and exploded behind him. For a moment, he thought Ryo simply missed. But then he heard the call.

"Yugi! Behind you!"

He looked back as one of the large trees on the edge of the forest splintered and began to collapse. Instinct kicked in and Atem ran.

Yugi didn't have enough time to run. He knew even if he got out of the way, the pieces of the tree would only hit him instead. So, he could only hope the tree wouldn't do too much damage and his death wouldn't completely corrupt the game.

His eyes shut tight. Something knocked him to the ground as the wood crumbled and fell around him. When he looked up, he was centimeters away from Atem's face. The tester's arms were on either side of him and shook as he tried his best not to allow the wood to fall onto Yugi. He listened to all the collapsing then looked at the developer. "Are you okay?"

Yugi nodded and swallowed thickly. Atem was so close. It would only take a small push up to kiss...

He snapped out of it with a thought. More importantly, he almost _died_!

"Yugi! Atem!"

The others moved around them and started to dig their bodies out from the debris. Atem stayed in position. His arms shook ever so slightly but he stayed stubborn in his task of keeping the giant tree trunk and all of its pieces from crushing Yugi.

It took a moment for all of them to pull the tree free of them. Both the tester and the developer looked at the group of masters. They all looked relieved to see both still alive.

Ryo looked like he would die from the amount of guilt he was feeling. "Yugi, I'm so sorry! I just..."

Yugi smiled at Ryo. "It's okay. It's not like you meant it."

Ryo just stared for a moment. Then, he relaxed and nodded. "R-right."

Atem climbed off Yugi and looked at Ryo. "I think we should have a raincheck on this battle. I'm not... properly prepared for it."

Yugi wasn't listening to what was being said. His eyes were still on Atem. His thoughts were on how Atem just saved his life. And his heart was thundering away in his chest as he couldn't help but think about how many attractive points Atem just received from that action.

He needed to breathe. He sat up and placed a hand on his chest as if that would calm him.

Jou knelt down next to him. "Got a little freaked out back there?"

"Y-yeah. I guess you could say that." He climbed up to his feet and looked back at Atem.

He was standing tall but Yugi could see in his features the whole thing shocked him as well. He wasn't worried about the battle he just had with Ryo. He was worried about the fact that Yugi had almost become nothing. Sure, it was all just a game and anything that happened could surely be fixed, but he was almost hurt.

And Atem dove in the way and abandoned a battle for the sake of keeping Yugi from feeling the majority of that pain.

It made the developer smile. He could appreciate this side of Atem. He knew the tester was a good guy but this was just a reminder of how good.

As everything calmed down and the sun began to fall over the horizon, Yugi walked with Atem around the camp. With the sun gone, different glowing insects and creatures began to stick their heads out and wander around in the night. It looked as if the stars were down in the world with them.

And Atem looked at them and marveled at the world around him. "You've done very well for yourself in this, Yugi. I'm pretty sure this is one of your best."

Yugi smiled and looked up at the sky. "Thank you. It's always nice to have someone like something you do."

Silence filled the space between them.

"I'm gonna have to get back to the development room and find out what happened."

Atem nodded but didn't take his eyes away from the sky. "I know." The words were full of reluctance.

Yugi was just as reluctant to leave. "Maybe it won't take long. Then... I can come back and you and I could do something where I'm not needing you to protect me."

Atem looked at him and smiled softly. "Yes. I would like that." Gently, his hand brushed against Yugi's.

Yugi leaned closer. "Maybe we can talk about the other aspects you didn't get to test." He smiled softly. "I think there are a few things you'd enjoy."

Atem smiled back. "I'll test anything for you."

Yugi chuckled but couldn't find any more words. They moved in even closer. Yugi's hand moved up to cup Atem's cheek.

"Yo! What you guys doing?!"

The two pulled apart immediately and stared at Jounouchi with wide eyes.

Seconds later, Anzu and Mai burst out from behind a corner. "Are you kidding me?!" Mai snarled at the other blond.

"They were so close!" Anzu immediately cried out and glared at Jou.

Jounouchi just shrugged and laughed. "Sorry sorry."

"I don't think you are!" Anzu gripped Jounouchi's ear tightly and pulled.

He yelped in response. “I am! I swear!”

Both Atem and Yugi laughed before Yugi cleared his throat and pulled away. "So, I should fix the problems going on here. I shouldn't be long."

Jou looked at his friend. "You're going to come back here?"

"That was my plan." He pressed onto the side of one of the buildings and a door glowed to life. "I'll see you guys!" He gave them a little wave and moved to open the door.

Then he paused. "You know what?" He pulled away and the door faded again. He turned and smiled at Atem.

Then he marched up, wrapped his hand around the back of the tester's head and claimed his lips. There was no more hesitation, no more questioning. He could worry about what this meant for the long run after. Right now, this was what he wanted. And he could tell by the way the other reacted he was far from alone.

The kiss was teasing and held just long enough for the two to get a small taste of one another. Just as Atem began to respond and kiss back, Yugi broke it and stepped away. It caused the other to stumble forward before he caught himself on one foot.

He smiled at Atem's half-lidded gaze. "Sorry. I didn't want to leave that unfinished." He turned back to his friends and gave them a wave. "I'll be back!" Without another, he stepped through the door.

The group looked at Atem as the newest player touched his fingers to his lips. He then turned away and took a few clumsy, uncoordinated steps before his knees gave out and he collapsed on the ground.

"Atem?!" Mai's eyes shot open wide.

"I'm fine!" His voice was giddy and light. He rolled over onto his back. "I just... need to lay here... for a while." He covered his flushed face and laughed. If this was all just a dream, he wanted to stay asleep.

 

Yugi slipped behind the door and closed it slowly. When he was alone, he touched his fingers to his lips and closed his eyes. He recalled the other's soft, unsuspecting lips on his and wondered if it all translated perfectly in reality.

He would need to test it out. For work purposes. And for himself.

Mostly for himself.

Yugi grinned and let out a soft laugh. He should figure out what's wrong so he could go back to them in his actual avatar. Then... who knows? Maybe there would be more waiting for him.

“Having fun out there?”

He froze at the sound of another person in what was supposed to be an empty back door. There was only one other person who had permission to be in here and Yugi would have known that voice immediately. The voice he heard this time was unfamiliar. He stepped further into the backroom.

A man with tanned skin and white hair sat in Yugi's seat. His eyes were locked intently on the developer. He smirked widely. “You shouldn't have come back. I haven't finished forming my plan yet.” The man stood up.

Yugi stood his ground. “Who are you?”

For a moment, the man looked surprised. Then, he let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, you wouldn't know me, would you? He probably didn't mention much about his past.” He moved in closer still. “My name is Bakura. Bakura Sennen.”

Yugi's eyes never left Bakura's. “You're Atem's relative.”

“Brother- well, _adopted_ brother.” Bakura tilted his head as he studied Yugi. “Maybe it's a good thing you came back so early. You can help me with something.”

“What's that?”

Bakura pulled up a screen in front of Yugi's face. “Activate this part of the game.” He scrolled through and stopped on one of the NPCs. “And I want my brother in this.”

Yugi looked at the screen and tried his best to cover up his surprise. After years of competitions, he was able to acquire a pretty convincing poker face. “I don't know anything about your rivalry with Atem but this isn't the time or the place.”

“It's either this or Plan B; where I go out into reality and murder him in cold blood.”

The poker face dissolved in an instant. “You would do that?!”

“Are you willing to take the chance that I'm lying?”

They stared at each other. Yugi looked between Bakura's eyes. He searched as hard as he could for a lie. But he didn't know this man. He didn't know how insane he may be. He didn't know if Atem was truly in danger.

But Bakura was right; he didn't want to risk calling a false bluff.

Not if there was a life on the line.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Atem just laid on the ground and stared up at the stars for a few minutes. He was still smiling, giddy beyond words. Yugi had kissed him. It was still so hard to believe. It felt like it was only an hour ago, he was thinking about how lucky he would be to catch just a glimpse of him.

And now, he was hanging out with his friends and receiving affections he never thought possible. And, while he was still a huge fan of the work, Atem's thoughts toward Yugi shifted from the moment he began to know the developer. It was less hero worship and more just two people getting to know one another.

These were the thoughts that distracted him from the conversation happening not too far from the spot where he plopped down.

Ryo hugged himself and looked away from Honda. “I... I can't really explain what happened. He was just controlling me. This me. And... I couldn't do anything about it.”

Honda placed his hands on Ryo's shoulders and tried his best to catch the other's eye. “Who was he?”

He shook his head. “I don't know. But he knew my name and...” He glanced at the beta tester. “He knew him.”

Honda followed the gaze. He didn't want to believe Atem himself was capable of hurting anyone here. But how much did they really know about him? He could just be someone obsessed with Yugi and had a bunch of people trying to either make him look good in the eyes of their friend or work to sabotage anyone who would stand in his way.

Either way, Honda was not about to take this and let it go any further.

A loud roar from above removed him from his thoughts with a start. Everyone jumped at the sound but they all knew who it was. They all looked up to see the brilliant white dragon as something moved and dropped from it.

Kaiba landed from his jump off Kisara only a few paces from the crater in the battle area. He looked at it with a snort. “I see you children were busy.”

Anzu's eyes narrowed. “Yeah. Some of your beta testers are pretty rude.”

“I hire by skill, not personality.” He stepped through and saw someone laying on the ground. When he saw who it was, he grimaced. “But I guess you're making friends with some of them.”

Atem pushed himself up to his elbows and smirked. Nothing would be able to take him off of cloud nine right now. “It's nice to see you again, Kaiba.”

“Sennen. I see you're keeping busy learning about the grass.” He looked back at everyone before his eyes landed on Jounouchi. “Where's Mutou?”

The blond frowned. “He just went back in. Said there was something he needed to fix and he would be right back.”

“So, he was out here.”

“More than out here,” Mai spoke up and gestured to Atem. “He ended up halfway across the map with this fine young man. If it weren't for Atem, the game probably would've crashed.”

Kaiba looked at Mai then caught his glance back at Atem. He rolled his eyes. “I'll be sure to give him a gold star when we get out of here.”

Atem pulled himself to his feet. “You're too kind, Mr. Kaiba.”

“Right now, I have other concerns.” He stepped up to the door Yugi walked through less than ten minutes ago. “Such as, how did I get locked out if no one was behind this door until just now?”

Everyone fell into silence.

Honda and Ryo looked at one another. Ryo bit his lip as Honda stepped forward.

“Kaiba, I think-”

As the CEO touched the door, the world around them shifted like a wave. For a split second, it was much warmer and the greens and browns of forest were replaced with the beige and golds of the desert. The setting went from night to day.

Everyone tensed as the shift happened again. Then again.

Kaiba looked at his AI. “Kisara, what's going on?”

She looked at him in concern. “Major changes are happening to the game's code.” She looked at the other AIs, all of which faded with the waves.

Mana looked at Atem in fear before she also disappeared into nothing.

The world stopped shifting.

Atem looked around, his eyes scanning the grounds of Egypt as his stomach turned to lead. Its been so long since he's been here and, even if the details were obviously inspired by the ancient world, most of the structures were still in place in the world he called home.

“A-Atem?”

He looked back at everyone to see they were still in their normal avatars.

All of them were looking at him in surprise.

He looked at himself and found his hands, arms, and legs were covered in gold jewelry. Instead of the chest armor and pants, he was wearing what was essentially a long tunic and a long, deep violet cape. He reached up and touched a crown which sat proudly right above his hairline.

The last thing to change was his sword. The weapon removed itself from his grip as it disappeared and reappeared on a brown rope around his neck. It took the form of a large golden pendant, shaped like an inverted pyramid.

He looked at everyone else in confusion. “What is this?”

Everyone looked at the world around them as Jounouchi spoke up. “It's one of Yugi's unfinished games. An old passion project.”

Anzu nodded as her eyes landed on the large palace in the distance. “Millennium World.”

Everyone turned when the backdoor opened up again and out walked a man they'd never seen before. His skin was tanned, a stark contrast to the bright white hair, His own outfit appeared the moment he walked away from the door; red robe and a dark brown kilt.

He didn't pay attention to anyone else as he sauntered towards Atem. “It's nice to see you again. How many years has it been?”

Atem fought the urge to back up. “Bakura...”

“Shh. Let me just take a look at ya.” He stepped closer and slowly walked around the other. “Hmm, you look healthy and well-fed. Father's been taking good care of you. But of course, he loves his little prince.”

“Father passed away last year.”

“My condolences.” Bakura didn't sound like he cared at all. “You'll be happy to know, Mother suffered a similar fate. Right after she did this to me.” He pulled the robe off his shoulder to reveal a large, thick scar deep in the flesh. It wrapped around and Atem could only imagine it continued down his back. “Now, maybe you'd like something similar in your perfect skin, hm? So we can match.”

“Like Hell! Don't you touch him!” Jounouchi moved to charge forward.

Then found he couldn't move beyond a few steps. He looked dazed as he ran headfirst into an invisible wall.

Bakura just laughed at the blond. “Aww, you've grown attached to him.” He reached out and grabbed Atem by the neck, then slammed his body into the sand. “How cute!”

Pain shot through every nerve in Atem's body. He gasped, eyes tearing up. Did the pain receptors actually get higher? It felt like it. Hitting the ground shouldn't have caused nearly as much pain as it did.

He was lifted and thrown down again. The back of his skull hit against something and his head started to swim. He could hear everyone scream at Bakura to stop. Their voices sounded like he was underwater.

Only one came in clearly. Bakura was right next to his ear. “Let's finish this little talk in private.”

Atem's vision blurred as shadows played along the corners of his vision. A moment later, the screams of his new friends were gone.

 

Bakura grinned and gave a wave with his free hand as shadows consumed the two and they faded from view. It was only after the two disappeared that the wall came down. Jounouchi immediately ran over to the spot as if they would reappear and he could get to them.

“Dammit! How did he do that?!” Jou glared at Kaiba. “Why couldn't you do something?!”

“That takes being in the backroom. He must've set something to lock everyone out.”

“No. I did it.”

Everyone looked back at the door as Yugi slowly slipped out. He stared at the ground and kept his hand on the door.

Jounouchi looked at him incredulously. “Why?!”

“I wasn't about to risk you guys going through what he's doing to Atem.” He clenched his fists and looked up at the blond. “He would have tortured you.”

“He wouldn't have been able to take us all on!”

Yugi shook his head. “It's already bad enough. I couldn't have that happen to you.” He gripped the door and looked back down at the ground as he thought about what was probably happening to the beta tester.

And his thoughts were clearly similar to everything everyone else was thinking.

Ryo frowned at Yugi. “We have to go save him.”

Everyone looked at Ryo.

He glanced around and continued. “Bakura took control of my character. He wanted to hit Atem where it would be most effective. The attack that hit the tree? It was intentional. Because he knew if he could take Yugi out, it would hurt Atem.” He shook his head. “He'll cause so much physical pain in this world that it'll carry over into reality. I've never known someone could hold so much rage for a person.”

“Okay. So, we need to find them.” Mai looked at the spot where they disappeared. “But where would they go?”

“Atem was dressed like the Pharaoh. It's possible he would take him back to the Palace.” Anzu gestured in the direction of the large building.

Yugi nodded and opened the door again. “Right. Everyone should start heading there. I'm going to see if I can get a good look at them.” Maybe he could even slow Bakura's torture from the backdoor.

He could only hope.

 

His head was throbbing as the sands of the desert was replaced by hard stone. He was lifted off his feet and opened his mouth in attempt to suck in a breath.

Then he was slammed into a wall and the hand disappeared. He sunk to the ground and rubbed at his abused throat. “Bakura.. please.”

“Ah, nice to know you remember your manners. Not that it mattered when you left me with her.” Bakura knelt down and looked Atem in the eyes. “You got something to say in _that_ regard?”

Atem was young when they left. He was a few years shy of being a legal adult just like Bakura. His father was the one who pulled him out of there. And he knew the guilt ate at the man just as it ate at Atem. Possibly more-so.

“I never wanted to leave you.” Atem stared at his brother. “I wasn't given a choice.”

Bakura looked far from moved. “Want. Funny thing about 'want.' I didn't _want_ to know you leaving would mean I would have to be with her alone. I didn't _want_ to spend sleepless nights wondering if the insane bitch would come storming in because I missed a spot when doing the washing up. I didn't _want_ you to _go_. But what happened?” His voice shook. “You left me. And she was still there, day after day.”

Atem couldn't pull his eyes away from Bakura. He just sat against the wall and tensed when the other jumped to his feet.

He let out a cry of pain when Bakura's foot slammed down into his shoulder. The amount of pain that exploded inside him told him it was broken.

“I didn't _want_ to hate you, Atem. But you left me no choice.” He leaned down on the foot digging into his brother. “And now? I'm going to concentrate all the pain she put on me so you can feel everything you missed on your escape to Japan.”

Atem whimpered at the pain and clenched his jaw tightly in an attempt to keep in the sound. His body squirmed to get away but to no avail. When Bakura twisted, he couldn't hold it back anymore.

He screamed.

“Aw, already? I guess your pain tolerance isn't as high as it should be, Little Prince.” He pulled his foot back and slammed it back down to get another yelp. “But do me a favor? Don't pass out. I want you awake for all of this.”

When the foot was finally removed, Atem cradled his shoulder and fought the urge to sob. His grip fell when Bakura grabbed hold of Atem's cape front and forced the tester to his feet.

“You like a challenging game, right? Just think of it as that.” Bakura grinned. “If you're still able to stand by the time I get bored, you win!” He dragged Atem away, down the large stone halls where all of the NPCs just watched.

 

Ryo gripped his staff tightly as the group walked. His eyes darted to the other players, all of which looked on in confusion as they questioned their change in surroundings. It didn't help that Kaiba ignored them when they saw him walking past and asked what was going on.

But Ryo's thoughts were elsewhere. He couldn't be completely sure but he was briefly able to get a look at Bakura and his intentions. He was so angry at Atem. He was so full of rage and pain that the other wasn't thinking straight.

Ryo felt a large wave of sympathy for him. He wondered if anyone else would see it the same way.

“Hey.”

Ryo looked up at Honda.

The other frowned, a concerned look in his eyes. “You doing okay?”

Ryo nodded and looked back at the world around them. “I'm just hoping he's not in too much pain.”

Kaiba glanced at Ryo. Then he turned to Jou.

And flicked the blond in the ear.

“Ow! What the _Hell_?!” Jounouchi rubbed his ear and glared at Kaiba. “Maybe give a guy a warning next time!”

Kaiba just stared before he grabbed Jounouchi by the head and turned to look at the offended flesh. It was red from the impact. “The pain reception is too high. I wouldn't be surprised if it's maxed out.”

“Don't use me as one of your test subjects!”

Anzu looked at Jou flatly. “You say as if this is a first for you.”

The blond's face turned so red it was nearly purple. “Shut up.”

Kaiba ignored the exchange in favor of the subject at hand. “If that's the case, then your new friend is in a lot of pain just from what we saw.”

Anzu's eyes shot over to Kaiba. “So now that Atem was left alone with him...”

The CEO caught her eye. He nodded mutely.

Ryo gripped his staff tightly. “We should hurry.”

 

Atem coughed and tasted copper on his tongue. He'd been slammed around by Bakura so much he was surprised his body didn't just give in and let his mind block out the pain. There was so much. Too much. If he could just wake up in his pod like this was just another nightmare, he would at least be able to take everything into his mind and regroup. He could find Bakura in the real world and figure out a much more diplomatic way to work this out.

Then something slammed into his stomach and he felt like he would vomit.

Bakura pushed Atem up straight by his fractured shoulder and smiled. “Look at you. The poor little runaway finally remembering his lot in life.” He grabbed hold of Atem's face and forced the other to look him in the eye. He felt a strange wave of satisfaction at seeing a tear roll out of the corner and down his cheek. If the wet path was any indication, this was not even close to the first. And Bakura wanted to make sure it wasn't the last.

Atem sucked in a shaky breath as something flashed in the corner of his vision.

“You got something to say to me?” Bakura tilted his head.

“I'm sorry.”

He shook his head. “It's too late for tha-!” He flinched when he found Atem's palm hairs away from his face. Something black and purple came from it and the world seemed to scream at him.

Bakura let out a cry and stumbled back. He held his head as the screams continued, hallucinations of monsters and people danced in his vision. The world melted and reformed around him. He couldn't find his balance.

Atem nearly tripped as he rushed around Bakura and away as quickly as possible. Every muscle and bone in his body screamed in protest. With the pain, he couldn't manage any more than a light trot but he was determined to leave. He just needed long enough to heal. He needed time to think about how to handle this. He moved for the exit of the Palace.

And immediately shivered as the freezing air hit his bare skin. Snow covered the world around him, so thick and heavy it was up to his calves. It was nearly impossible to see into the distance as the thick snowflakes fell.

He didn't have time to think about it. He needed to find a place to regroup and figure out a way to heal so he could face Bakura head on. Maybe, when his mind wasn't so fried from the beatings, he could talk some sense into the other man.

“ _Atem_!”

Or maybe not.

Atem continued on his way and trudged through the snow covering the sand. He didn't notice the large staff in Bakura's hand. He didn't even know his brother was armed until it hit him in the side.

He stumbled from the hit.

“Where the fuck do you think you're going?” Bakura's eye twitched, bloodshot from the magic attack. He blinked rapidly as if it would do away with the visions. “I'm not done with you yet!”

Atem pushed himself upright and held his injured shoulder. “Kura, please...”

“You think that cutesy nickname's going to stop me?!” Bakura stalked forward and brought the staff up to strike again.

Neither of them noticed the door appear. Not until it slammed open and out came a blur of silver and blue. The blur plowed into Bakura boot first, sword in hand and protective rage in violet eyes.

Atem just watched as Yugi firmly planted his feet between Bakura and him.

Yugi glared at his opponent as a small, thin man popped up near his shoulder with a magician's staff tight in his grip. “Playtime's over, Bakura. Get the Hell out of my game.”

Atem had never been so attracted to another person. The moment they were out of this, he vowed to thank Yugi in whatever way suited the developer.

Bakura pushed himself back up and laughed. “You really want to get between me and him? You could ruin this entire platform, you know.”

Yugi spun his sword but never took his eyes off Bakura. “Whatever was 'ruined' can be fixed. Atem's more important.”

Bakura stared at Yugi for a moment as if he didn't understand a word the developer said. Then, he shrugged. “Alright. Fine. Have it your way.”

The small magician looked at the developer. “With the changes made to the game, he might have the advantage.”

“He won't for long.” Yugi rushed in and swung his sword. It clanged against the staff.

Atem could only watch as the two fought. He was exhausted and broken in more ways than one. He couldn't do anything to protect Bakura or Yugi. He felt completely and utterly useless.

He glanced over as the Masters finally made it to them. They all stopped when they saw the sorry condition Atem was in.

He tried his best not to snap at them but the pain still sitting in his body did nothing to calm his temper. “Help him!”

Jou and Honda didn't hesitate to jump into Yugi's defense. For a moment, Mai stared at Atem then moved to help as well when the boys were knocked down by a magic wave Bakura emitted.

Ryo stayed near Atem and frowned at him. “You're hurt.”

Atem shot the mage a look. “They'll need you.”

“You need me first.” Ryo glanced over at the team. “Honda knows some defensive spells.”

Kaiba sneered as Bakura slammed Honda back and sliced at Jounouchi with a sword from the Palace. “It's too bad he forgets how to use them.” He sprinted in.

Atem wanted to demand that Ryo follow after the CEO but was silenced as a comforting feeling returned. The magic felt like being wrapped in the world's most comfortable blanket where he knew everything would be alright.

Despite a large portion of his mind knowing this group of people he just met were fighting a monster created by his own family's abuse and neglect. And they were risking getting seriously hurt for his sake.

As he healed, Atem stood up and sucked in a deep breath. He didn't know if this character had any abilities of his own. All of his weapons were gone. His sword turned into...

He looked down at the heavy pendant and gripped it in one hand. So, maybe he did have a weapon of some kind.

“Your team needs healing.” He called out to Ryo as he rushed in and made a beeline for Bakura.

Bakura was starting to feel the intensity of the pain. Maybe he should have considered how the pain worked both ways. And making it so they wouldn't lose health? While that was perfect for constantly slamming Atem into a wall, it didn't help him in his current situation. At least death would provide him with an escape and a place to start over.

Luckily, he was able to get one of the annoying little insects out of the way but there was still a problem when it came to the others. The woman was too damn fast, the blond man and Kaiba were constantly defending each other and Yugi clearly played with the code himself to make it less painful to get hit himself. Either that or he was just ignoring the pain at which point Bakura could commend him for keeping such a cool head under this.

After all, he was currently the most wounded.

“Bakura!”

He heard the call from Atem behind him and turned to meet the only opponent he cared about. But the moment he turned, something heavy and metallic slammed into the side of his face and he stumbled back. He felt a sharp point slice into his cheek and he bled.

Everyone watched in surprise. Yugi couldn't help but laugh softly. “Well, I guess that's _one_ way to use the Pendant...”

No one asked him what he meant. Bakura glared at Atem. He gripped his weapon and kicked off the icy sand in attempt to take down his brother.

Atem moved and slipped behind Bakura. The rope slapped and tightened against his neck and he slammed into Atem's body.

He gasped for a breath.

“Bakura, this needs to stop.” Atem kept a tight grip on the rope as Bakura fought to get it back off. “I know you're angry with me. If this situation were reversed, I would probably feel the same way. But we need to talk about this. Outside of here. Like human beings.” He loosened his grip just slightly.

Bakura sucked in a breath but stood perfectly still. He looked over his shoulder at Atem. “Is that something _Daddy_ taught you?”

Atem wasn't given any time to process the words. Instead, Bakura snapped around and slammed the heel of his palm into the underside of Atem's jaw. Something like magic pooled in his hand. It was different from his own. Glitchy and wrong.

For a moment, Atem saw nothing but black. Then code flashed before his eyes as he realized he was on his back in the snow.

Everyone around him saw the avatar stutter and flicker, like a corrupted glitch.

Yugi ran over to him. “Atem!”

The beta tester tried to shake off the code, blinking rapidly as it threatened to blind him. “What's ha-p-i-ng...?”

Yugi bit his lip and reached out for Atem's face.

“Don't touch him!”

Kaiba's snap immediately stopped the action.

“His file looks like it's overloaded to the point of corruption. Touching him could lead to it spreading like a virus. You are the _last_ person we need to be corrupted.”

Atem could barely hear Kaiba over the static playing in his ears. It was starting to hurt. His whole body hurt. He curled up as if that would somehow alleviate the pain.

Yugi pulled back and nodded. “... Right.” He looked down at Atem and bit his lip. “I'm sorry.”

Atem blinked and opened his mouth to speak but only managed to get out a few useless syllables.

Yugi turned to Kaiba. “Do you think you can fix him?”

The CEO looked at the developer flatly. “Don't make jokes, Mutou. Of course, I can.”

“You do that and I'll fix Kisara's ice weakness.”

Kaiba glared at Yugi's back as the shorter man headed back to the fight. “You did that on purpose?”

“It never hurts to have leverage over an opponent, Kaiba,” Yugi smirked at him before he pulled his sword back out. “Now, if you'll excuse me, we both have jobs to do.” He charged into the battle still going on between his friends and his maybe-someday-boyfriend's adopted brother.

Kaiba continued to glare at Yugi's back for a moment before a shift on the ground caught his eye. Atem was no longer curled up in his little ball. Instead, he was gripping his head and thrashing as if to try and shake off the pain. The brunet could see tears rolling down his cheeks and see his mouth open in a scream no one could hear.

With a press to his armor, a screen popped up in front of Kaiba and his eye was scanned. After a moment, it brought up Atem Sennen's records along with all the work done to his avatar in the game. When Kaiba went deeper, he found the code and began his work on untangling the corruption from the character.

His eyes narrowed when he realized someone was trying to re-tangle it on the other end. Bakura had help somewhere.

He opened a new window. “Mokuba, link me to the speakers for any computer with these game components open.”

“You got it, Bro.”

 

He stared at the screen as all the numbers and letters began to realign themselves. He looked at the pod containing the little bastard and noticed his once shaking form was beginning to still and relax. That wouldn't do at all. He didn't get this far to let Atem leave this game without some kind of trauma.

So, he returned to adding more. Worst case scenario was it would become too effective and Atem would become comatose. And was that really so bad?

Unfortunately whoever was trying to fix Atem was just as good at spotting problems as Marik was at creating them. And, for a moment, it left them in a standstill.

He jumped when a voice popped out of the speakers. “Get out.”

Marik stopped his work and froze.

“I know you're there. This isn't the work of something automatic. If it was, I'd have it gone. So, I'm going to say it again. Get out.”

Marik glared at the speaker. “Maybe you should get out and let me have this one. What do you care?”

“To be honest I don't. This player's slowly becoming the bane of my existence.”

“Then-”

“But to have him lose to you with a dirty trick like this is completely unacceptable!”

Marik paused.

“You will stop what you're doing or else I'll be left with no choice but to force you to stop.”

“Oh yeah?” He chuckled. “And how's that?”

“It's a nice computer you have here. Pretty advanced. I should know; I watched my team create it.”

The smile fell.

“It's too bad about the motherboard, though. At least in the original models such as yours.” He could hear the smirk. “They do have a tendency to fry at the most inconvenient times.”

As if on cue, there was a soft 'pop' from within the computer and the screen shut off. Marik stared at it.

Then his phone rang. He looked down to see a number he didn't know. But he had a feeling he knew who was calling.

He brought it up to his ear.

“I hope you were smart enough to back up all your files. Maybe next time you'll know better than to play in a place too advanced for you.” Kaiba hung up.

Then Marik yelped as the battery to his phone exploded in his hand. He dropped it and held his offended hand tightly, wide eyes focused on the now dead electronic. It would seem Bakura was now without his support.

He could only sit back and hope the other got through everything okay.

 

Bakura felt it the moment he lost his connection with Marik.

While he didn't hear the conversation between him and Kaiba, he could feel the hits of his opponents connecting a little harder than before. He could feel his armor beginning to weaken and crack under the beatings.

And, near where Kaiba was kneeling, he could see Atem's body had stilled and relaxed.

It was not a good day. This went against all his plans. And he couldn't have that in the least bit. Not when Atem still didn't seem to know the pain he felt.

He knew from what Marik was able to do he still had a full magic meter. While it wouldn't do any real-world damage to anyone, he could at least make his mark. “I've had enough of you idiots!” He kicked at Jounouchi and forced the blond to slam into Anzu. He swung his staff around and managed to land a connection on Mai. He lifted his hand to shoot a large wave of dark magic at Yugi.

Only to have Yugi raise his hand at the same time and shoot his own magic. The light collided into the shadows and created a large explosion. Yugi flew back and slammed into the snow behind Atem and Kaiba.

Bakura shot the other direction. His back hit hard into the stone walls of the Palace and, as he fell, large boulders of ice and snow fell with him.

He was buried within seconds of hitting the ground. Snow continued to pile on as more fell from the roof of the Palace.

A few minutes later, Atem blinked back to life as the pain released him and the world returned. He looked up at Kaiba. “What happened?”

“It looks like we won.” He pointed to the large ice pile. “Your brother's out of commission now.”

Atem climbed to his feet and looked at the pile.

Anzu kicked Jounouchi off her with a huff. “You had to step in the way and try to have the kill for yourself.”

Jou glared at her. “I had a clear shot. Maybe if you didn't insist on trying to take him out from the side, you would've been fine!”

Yugi brushed himself off and looked at everyone else with a sigh. “Does it matter? He's down now.”

Ryo smiled at Yugi as he finished healing Honda. “It wouldn't be a won battle if we weren't arguing about something.”

Kaiba snorted and crossed his arms. “Whatever helps you idiots sleep at night. Now let's get the game back in proper order. Mutou, remove Millennium World from the Kingdom files. It's only good for a template and shouldn't have been so close to the final product.”

Yugi frowned and nodded. “Normally I wouldn't agree. But considering what just happened, I have no-” he paused when he realized Atem was no longer standing where he last saw him. He turned and followed the footsteps to see where the beta tester had gone. “-choice.”

Everyone else followed the gaze.

Atem was near the pile of ice and snow. He was silently pulling them to the side and digging down into the hill created.

Everyone walked over to the pile. He didn't look up at any of them and just continued with his digging.

“Atem?” Yugi stepped closer carefully and decided to ignore how red the other's hands were from digging in the freezing snow.

Atem didn't look up. “The pain is still at its maximum.”

Yugi didn't need any more information than that. He moved in and helped.

Ryo stepped forward but paused when Honda grabbed his shoulder.

Honda frowned at him. “Ryo, he took over your body.”

Ryo smiled back. “It's just a character.” He pulled away from Honda and turned to help.

Honda just stood back, bewildered.

It didn't take much more to have Anzu help as well. Jou moved in and quirked an eyebrow at Kaiba. “You just gonna stand here?”

Kaiba crossed his arms. “He hacked into and tried to ruin a game that took years to develop. He can deal with a little pain.”

Jou shrugged and followed after Mai as she joined in.

A moment later, Honda let out a defeated sigh and followed everyone else.

They dug in silence and everyone felt the impact of the cold on their skin. Yugi wished he had enough foresight to figure out how to make the pain numb. He never thought they would be in a situation like this. He looked up at Atem. He hadn't slowed even as the skin of his hands started to take on a shade of purple. He stayed stubborn and resolved.

It felt as if it took hours but soon, Anzu cried out. “I can see his hand!”

Atem shot up straighter. He quickly moved over to her and grabbed the hand. When it responded with a squeeze, he dug around with new life so he could pull Bakura out of the snow.

Soon, they were lifting his body out. Bakura shook violently from the cold and looked at everyone who surrounded him. All of them looked back with a wary stare.

Except for one. One looked relieved.

Bakura didn't acknowledge them verbally. He looked away and walked off, heading out without a word.

“Hey! How about a 'thank you'! Or maybe 'I'm sorry'!”

He ignored the boisterous blond and simply pulled himself from the game completely. He had some thinking to do.

 


	6. Chapter 6

It took a little bit of manipulation but, within an hour, the Kingdom was back and running without any problems. The world fazed from the destroyed snowy desert of Egypt to the lush green of the fantasy world. Atem's clothes and items morphed back as well, returning him to his former abilities.

And with that also came the AIs. Mana blinked owlishly as she reappeared. For a moment, it looked as if she wouldn't be able to recall anything that happened and rebooted back to the start of the game.

But then her eyes landed on Atem and she gasped. “Did I leave you? Where did I just go?!”

Atem smiled at her. “Not far. It's good to see you back.”

Mana blinked a few more times before a grin came over her features. She looked up when a door glowed to life and Yugi stepped out along with Kaiba. Her grin spread. “Master Mutou! You're in your proper form!”

Yugi smiled back at her. “I guess you could say that.” He glanced over at his own AI.

The magician nodded to Mana.

Mana gasped again and flew over to him. Atem watched in surprise when his guide threw her arms around Yugi's and laughed.

The other magician smiled and wrapped his arms around her as well.

“I guess they know each other?”

Yugi nodded and stared at them for a moment. “The AI guides have different pairs. The intent behind it was to make it easy to see who could match with your own personality. It kinda took on a life of its own, though.”

“Let's call it what it is, Yugi.” Mai winked and nudged the developer with her elbow before she looked at Atem. “It's a matchmaking component.”

Atem blinked. “Oh.” He looked back at Yugi's bright red face. “Really?” He looked back at the two AIs as Mana animatedly told Yugi's about all the adventures they'd been through. Yugi's guide just smiled and nodded along, clearly used to the girl's enthusiasm.

They looked as though they were made to be together.

Yugi cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. “It's not a _perfect_ system. I mean, it matched Jounouchi and Kaiba.”

Kaiba raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

“Right. Uh, bad example.” He looked around.

Atem shook his head and chuckled. “Honestly, Yugi, before even knowing that I was thinking about... well,” he smiled, “I would love to take you out to dinner sometime. Maybe when all of this is re-secured.”

Yugi looked back at Atem and his tense stance relaxed. He smiled softly and nodded. “It shouldn't take too long. Um, maybe tomorrow night?”

Atem nodded. “It's a date then.”

“As much as I love to stand here and watch you two make eyes at one another, We're going to need to boot you from the game while we make the final changes.” Kaiba looked from Atem to the Masters. “That goes for you as well.”

“Hey, since when are we a threat?” Jounouchi frowned at Kaiba.

Yugi shook his head. “It's not so much that you're a threat. It's that we have a few things to work on where the fewer people in the game, the better. Everyone's getting booted.”

Honda sighed. “We're just the only ones getting a warning.”

“Yeah.” Yugi turned to Atem. “If you wouldn't mind explaining some of this to the other beta testers? I know it's a lot to ask, but...”

“I understand. Leave it to me.”

Yugi smiled and moved closer to Atem. “I knew I could count on you.” He pressed his lips to Atem's one last time.

Then the character was removed from the game. He fizzled out quickly and left Yugi standing alone.

Around them, everyone else faded as well. Jounouchi was able to make one last face at Kaiba before he disappeared as well.

Kaiba just snorted and looked at the spot where the blond once stood. His lip twitched into a barely visible smile. “Very mature, Jounouchi.”

Yugi sighed and turned to the CEO. “Well, let's get to work.”

 

Atem was the first one awake. As soon as he sat up, he could hear his phone let out a soft jingle of a text. Everyone else was slowly working their way out of the pods in confusion while he read what Kaiba had sent.

“What the Hell?! I was in the middle of the fight with Gandora!”

“ _You're_ disappointed? I was about to get laid!”

“Ugh, you were not. I was just trying to trade with you, you pervert.”

“Did anyone else see that weird shift from forest to desert in the south part of the kingdom? Or was I seeing things?”

“If you got the purple ale, then you were seeing things.”

“Either way, does anyone know what happened?”

“Yes. I do.” Atem looked away from his phone and up at the others.

The room was silent and everyone turned to Atem.

He tensed for a second before letting out a deep breath and speaking. “The game encountered an issue with an outside force. Kaiba and Mr. Mutou kicked us from the game to make sure this won't occur again. Everyone will get their full day's pay and we're free to leave and wait for a text from Kaiba as to when to come back.”

One of the other beta testers crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “He told you all of this himself?”

“Through text, yes.” He turned his phone around for everyone to see the long paragraph.

The room immediately filled with unsure mumbling. Some of the people began to leave. After a while, others followed. One by one everyone filtered out of the room, leaving only one tester standing.

Atem sat back in one of the computer chairs with a sigh. He was exhausted. His entire past came back to slap him in the face at the most inconvenient time. It never occurred to him that his brother would be so full of rage and vengeance. His eyes fell on one of the pods. Two of them were already open and empty by the time he woke up.

He wondered where Bakura went.

There was a soft knock on the door. His head snapped around to see a man with shaggy blond hair grinning at him. “Ya hungry? We're all gonna go over to Burger World and hang out, figured you might wanna join in.”

He blinked for a moment before a soft smile came over his features. “Yes, I'd like that.”

“Cool! We can start the initiation process too!” Jou grinned as Atem walked over to him. “You kinda earned yourself a place among the Masters.”

Atem tilted his head. “Are you sure?”

“I mean Yugi really has final say and you're not really a 'master' yet but yeah, I could see you getting around to our ranks in a few weeks.” He patted Atem on the back. “You're at least part of the group now; I can tell ya that much.”

Atem winced as the hand slapped a little harder than he was sure Jounouchi intended. Still, he smiled as they walked down the hall of Kaiba Corp. “I'm honored.”

“Yeah, you better be.”

 

It took two weeks. Two weeks for them to find the phone number and for his brother to work up the nerve. But when he got the text of an address and the words 'let's talk,' Bakura knew who it was from.

After a small argument, Bakura left Marik to find this place. A half an hour later, he was standing in front of a coffee shop in the middle of Domino City. Through the window, he could see a collection of couches with people already inside and enjoying their drinks as well as each other's company.

It wasn't until he stepped inside that he saw the wild mess of hair at a table in the back corner. He was studying the cup in front of him as if it held all the secrets to the world.

Bakura walked up to him and crossed his arms. “A cafe? What, are you afraid I'll make a scene?”

Atem glanced up at him. “You mean like the scene you made inside the Kingdom?”

Bakura stared at him with a guarded expression. Then, reluctantly, he sat down. He noticed a second cup of coffee in front of him and raised an eyebrow at it.

“It's black. Decaf.”

“So, you really did prepare for me not to make a scene. Bet this is what you do when you break-up with someone too.” He opened the cup and grabbed the sugar on the table. “Yugi better watch out.”

Atem frowned at Bakura.

The two of them sat in silence while Bakura doctored his coffee with almost all the sugar provided on the table. Only then did Bakura take a sip.

“I'm sorry.”

The cup stayed on his lips, frozen as his eyes locked onto Atem's face. The other wasn't looking at him. He stared down at the table.

“I should have been there. I should have stayed in contact somehow. But... Father and I were both afraid and selfish. We convinced ourselves you would be alright. I didn't-”

“Stop.”

Atem finally looked up.

The rage was beginning to boil again. “I don't want your god damn pity. I didn't come here so you could feel sorry for me!” He slammed down his cup. “You left me, Atem. As afraid and selfish you were, you left me with a monster. You knew what she could do.”

He nodded. “And that's mine to live with.”

“Damn right, it is.”

“I can't change what happened in the past. But I can try to make up for it now.”

“'Try' being the key word on all of this. You failed me in the one spot it mattered most.”

“I know and I can't take that back. But, if you let me, I will find a way to make it up to you.”

Bakura snorted and gripped his cup again as he leaned back in his chair. “What? We gonna hug and kiss and sing kumbaya?”

“That was never us.” Atem shook his head. “We will never be a picture-perfect family. In fact, we're pretty broken.”

“If that isn't the understatement of the century.” His eyes caught Atem's. “So, what do we do about it, 'Little Prince?'”

The nickname caused Atem's stomach to lurch slightly. He grimaced. “Proper respect for one another might be a good place to start.”

Bakura smiled coldly.

“And being just apart of one another's lives might be another.” Atem brought his cup up to his lips. “How's Marik?”

The smile fell. “How do you know about me and Marik?”

“I wasn't sure until just now. All I knew was Marik helped you in the Kingdom. Kaiba gave me the name.”

He snorted. “He's not here today because I've been talking shit about you. If he was here, I'm sure I'd be trying to pry him off your throat.” Bakura shrugged. “I imagine it's kinda the same reason _Yugi_ isn't here now.”

“Yugi doesn't harbor any ill-will towards you. He actually thought it best not to get involved in this because it's something between you and me, not him.”

“Heh, dumbass.”

Atem's teeth clenched. “'Naive' might be a better word for it.”

Bakura's tongue clicked against his teeth. “Ohh, defensive of your new toy, I see.”

“This is beginning to run a little too close to 'disrespect,' Bakura.”

“Right. Whatever.”

The two sat in silence for a moment.

“We'll never get back to the way things were, you know.”

Atem eyed Bakura. He watched as the other looked out a window, his eyes far away from where they were now. “There's a lot of shit to unpack and maybe only one or two things are even worth the memories. Our lives and what we have here is just the world's biggest dumpster fire.” He leaned forward. “Mother was insane. Father was a coward. You were stupid and I was damaged from Day One. None of this makes for a fixed relationship. Why even try?”

Atem just sat and listened to Bakura. As the other finished and took another sip of his coffee, he closed his eyes. “Because we've both gotten this far.”

Bakura's jaw tightened.

“Because we're still alive and, while our history isn't exactly pleasant, it's something. Broken doesn't mean useless. It can be repaired and maybe even made stronger. You just have to want it.”

Both of them jumped at a happy jingle. Atem sighed and pulled out his phone. His gaze softened when he looked at the screen and saw who it was.

Bakura eyed him silently.

“You have my number, Bakura. I'll leave this up to you if you want to try and mend what we once had.” Atem stood up. “I'd like to hear from you soon but if I don't, I'll understand.” He walked for the door and threw out his cup on the way.

Bakura followed him with his eyes before he turned back and stared at his coffee. He couldn't be sure how long he sat there, simply staring at the cup and weighing his options. But when he finally stood up and headed out the door, the remainder of his drink was a cold mess of sickeningly sweet tar.

He walked out onto the streets and just walked in silence. He found his way towards the hotel where Marik was already waiting outside for him. The other man leaned against the building with his arms crossed and his face guarded. “How'd it go?”

Bakura stared at him for a moment then smiled. “I'm lucky to have you, you beautiful bastard.”

“Uh, thanks?” Marik raised an eyebrow at him. “I'm guessing we're going to head back to Egypt now?”

Bakura shook his head and began walking into the hotel lobby. “I think... I'd prefer to stay here. Indefinitely.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He stopped at the door when he realized the other one wasn't following him. “I'd... like you to stay too... But you don't have to if you don't want to.”

Marik blinked at him and fought the urge to smile. “Uh, sure. I can stay.” He followed after Bakura.

And Bakura smiled.

 

It took almost an entire year for the game to officially be released to the public. By Kaiba Corp standards, it was a very long time. But players from all over the world immediately did what they could to get the chance to play the Kingdom for themselves.

Especially when it was rumored that not only did you get to see Yugi Mutou, you get to _fight_ Yugi Mutou. It was a rumor that lit a fire in many players hearts and they all began to search for the ways.

It was a tedious string of quests you could only complete when you were above a level fifty. Then, the player needed to find the Masters' camp. And that was the easy part; by the time the game was public for a month, every player either knew how to find it on their own or knew someone who found it.

No, the difficult part was fighting what many people dubbed 'The Guardian.' It was only after defeating the Guardian that Yugi Mutou would even give the players the time of day. It did make sense, after all. He couldn't be fighting every person who came in for a challenge.

Rumor had it the Guardian was very good a thinning the crowd for Mr. Mutou. No one could really say they won against that particular Master.

A young teenage warrior nearly sprinted into the camp and grinned at the sight of the Masters. He knew about the rumors from the moment he opened the game. He was always a big fan of the games produced by Mr. Mutou. He wondered if beating him would give him any reward; maybe just time to pick the other's brain. Maybe a cool, fancy weapon.

The thoughts fired him up as his eyes scanned the grounds. There were five players within the area, all simply hanging out and enjoying one another's company. He wondered if any of them were Yugi Mutou but he somehow doubted it. “Hey! I wanna fight Mr. Mutou! Is that cool with you guys?”

A tall brunette girl blinked at him then laughed before she called over her shoulder. “There's another challenger for Yugi here!”

“Oh?” One of the players with his back to the newcomer abandoned his conversation with his friend in favor of seeing the new challenger.

By stature alone, the player found this 'Guardian' wasn't all that intimidating. He only came up to the brunette's shoulders if the hair wasn't taken into account. But it was in the way he moved and stood that almost made him want to back off and train a little more.

But then the Master smiled and he knew backing down wasn't an option.

“Hello there. I'm Atem. If you have any hope against Yugi, you'll have to prove it to me first.”

The player opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Atem's smile morphed into a smirk. “I hope you're ready to show me your skills.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda the last official chapter. What comes after is more of a bonus. Just a heads up for all of ya!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty explicit compared to the rest of the chapters.

They walked together into the Palace. Atem still hadn't completely overlooked all the spots where Bakura had tried to beat him into insanity. He tried not to look at the spot in the great hall where Bakura had him pinned against the wall by a broken shoulder.

It wouldn't do well. He wanted to be here with Yugi. He wanted to hear about this project and help him with it.

But he had yet to receive an answer as to why he was back in the Pharaoh garb. When his partner didn't give him an answer, he just moved on.

Atem crossed his arms as they entered the throne room. He watched the line of guards stand firmly at attention when he walked in. “Are these men just here for show?”

“I was thinking it depended on a ranking. If you take the rebels' course, they'll try to kill you on sight. If you devote yourself to the Pharaoh, you can walk through without a problem, even pick up some items from them.”

Atem tilted his head at them then looked at Yugi. “But you can always kill the Pharaoh.”

“Yeah, but you'd have to be very skilled to do it in the throne room. And have some kind of powerful ally to replace him for the final boss. So, even if you don't agree with his methods, you could just pay him lip service so you have him in the end.”

Atem nodded and walked around the room. “Interesting concept.” He walked over to the throne and ran his hand across the stone. “But what if the player isn't sure if the Pharaoh is worth the time or effort? Who could possibly replace the most powerful person in Egypt as an ally?”

Yugi watched Atem closely and studied the other's movements. He couldn't help but linger a little on the way Atem moved as if he were completely comfortable in the Pharaoh's clothing. It was making it hard to think about how to answer. In fact, he completely forgot the question. “Sorry, what was that?”

Atem raised an eyebrow and looked at Yugi in amusement. “Alright, better question; why am _I_ still dressed in the Pharaoh's garb. Shouldn't I be in my armor like you?”

Yugi smiled and stepped a little closer to Atem. “Well, you said you wanted to repay me for the whole Bakura thing, right?”

The amusement fell from Atem's face as he remembered Bakura once again. “Right.”

“And I told you I wanted to test out some things, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Well, one of those things happens to be if the intimacy mechanic works just as well here as it did in the Kingdom.” Yugi took another step closer. “And I think you could use some good memories of this place.”

Atem was suddenly very aware of how close Yugi was standing. When did he get so close? He smiled at the developer. “That's very thoughtful of you. Is that why there are no undergarments to go with this outfit?”

Yugi blushed. “It never occurred to me the model would need it.”

“Well now that I'm the model, were you right?”

“God I hope so.”

Atem grinned teasingly and pressed his lips to Yugi's. The feeling sent an unbelievable amount of shivers down his spine and as the kiss deepened, he was nearly breathless.

Yugi pulled him closer as they tasted one another. He could feel the erection already forming a tent in his pants and, if the hardness against his hip were any indication, Yugi was far from alone. Yugi carefully stepped forward and gently pushed Atem to walk back. Soon, the pretend pharaoh's back was against the wall and his hazy, clouded eyes were dead set on Yugi's.

Yugi kissed him again, one hand snaked behind Atem and down the back of his tunic. The hand moved and pulled up the hem to get a handful of the other's ass.

Atem let out a soft moan into Yugi's mouth. He gripped the other's shoulders as he felt a finger move down. He felt something slick coat his entrance as Yugi's finger dipped in slowly.

He broke the kiss and buried his head in the developer's shoulder.

Yugi looked at him. “You'll tell me if this becomes too much, right?”

Atem let out another soft groan and nodded. His grip tightened as Yugi worked in a second finger and pushed to go deeper. “Yugi...”

“Want me to stop?”

“Don't you dare.”

He smirked and kissed Atem's shoulder as the fingers slowly stretched and prepared the tester. After a moment, Yugi pulled back out and moved away. He let Atem grip him as the other watched impatiently, his legs quivering and his face flush.

It didn't take long for Yugi to undo his own trousers. He carefully coated his length with the same magic he'd done moments before then returned to Atem.

Atem's eyes were on the dick as Yugi lifted Atem's right leg. The other immediately wrapped it around the developer's hip to give him easier access to Atem's ass.

He hissed softly as Yugi pushed in, one hand gripped Yugi's shoulder while the other scraped against the stone of the throne room walls. The initial thrust felt as if it were taking forever as Atem got used to the feeling of Yugi's cock inside him. Yugi didn't stop until he was fully seated and Atem was already panting heavily.

From the look on the pharaoh's face, Yugi was worried he'd hurt him. But before he could ask Atem if he was okay, he was pulled into another kiss and the other leg locked around his hip, keeping him from pulling back out. The lust in Atem's eyes told Yugi all he needed to know.

He gripped Atem's hips and thrust. It didn't take him long to find a pace he liked, one that made Atem cry out with just about every thrust. He smiled at the noises Atem made and kissed the other's neck.

Atem's own mind was swimming with pleasure. He could feel just about every thrust slam directly into his prostate. If his feet were on the ground, there was no doubt Yugi would be holding him up anyway. He felt like his whole body was putty for Yugi to do with whatever he pleased. And who was he to say no? Would he ever really want to say no?

All he wanted right now was this to continue forever. For each thrust to bring him to new heights of pleasure. He caught Yugi's lips and babbled something against them, whether it was in Japanese or Arabic he couldn't be sure.

But whatever it was spurred Yugi on even more. The thrusts came faster and deeper and the only thing that could come from Atem's lips was “Yugi.”

Yugi heard his name whispered like a lustful prayer and couldn't help but feel a heightened pleasure knowing this person who was sex personified was begging him for more. He brought a hand up and cupped Atem's cheek. “God, you're beautiful.”

Atem's let out a soft laugh that turned into a low moan when Yugi's hand moved back down and wrapped around his needy length. Yugi stroked him in time with his thrusts and swallowed down all of Atem's cries in the deep kisses.

Soon, it became too much. Atem's nails dug into Yugi and his moans became louder and more desperate. He was begging Yugi in Arabic, his pleasure addled mind temporarily forgetting his second language.

It didn't matter. Yugi knew he was close. The developer thrust in deeper and pressed hard against the pleasure button inside. He stroked Atem's cock and smiled as he listened to the other's shriek as Yugi began to grind deep. He came hard between them, soaking both the Pharaoh garb and Yugi's armor as he shook.

Yugi smiled softly and pressed his forehead to Atem's. “Just bear with me for a minute.”

Atem let out a soft, wordless moan and held on weakly as Yugi gently thrust into him. It only took a few more thrusts before the developer came to his own climax deep inside Atem.

His legs unwrapped themselves as Atem tried to stand up straight. But, once Yugi slipped out and moved away, he slid down the wall bonelessly and just stayed against it, panting.

Yugi sat down beside him, just as tired. “Feeling better about this place?”

Atem didn't answer right away. He just let out a soft laugh. “If that is what greets me every time I walk through the door then absolutely.” His head found its way to Yugi's shoulder. “I wouldn't mind a bedroom for this.”

“There is the Pharaoh's Chambers. We could do some exploring in there next time.”

“Or maybe one in reality. That's always an option.”

Yugi turned and smiled at the beta tester. “Why, Mr. Sennen, are you coming onto me?”

“Would you rather I heighten the pleasure receptors and pin you against the wall in a game I created?”

“I... didn't heighten the pleasure receptors.”

Atem blinked a couple of times as a blush took over his features. “Really? Then... huh.” He let out a huff with the realization. “...Huh...”

“I mean, I _thought_ about it. Guess it's a good thing I didn't. You'd be a disaster right now.” Although to see Atem so overcome with pleasure might be a sight for another day. His hand found the other's.

Atem squeezed the hand in his own. “As soon as I can stand, I would like to see those chambers.”

“Oh yeah?”

“If you think you can handle that.” He grinned, knowing Yugi would sense the challenge and play right into his hand.

And just as predicted, Yugi grinned back. “I can handle anything you got.”

Atem, with what little energy he had gained, pushed closer to Yugi and nipped at his lip. “Show me.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a lot of fun to write. Thank you all for reading my little tale! :D


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